Stewards of the Gospel (Ep.4)

(upbeat music) Our first Corinthians 4 is starting in verse one. Says this is how one should regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me, it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself for I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. So Paul begins this section. If we remember from chapter three last week, Paul was talking a lot about how him and then Apollo, these apostles that were being sent out, that they really weren't anything. Really, the one who brings the increases, God, he says, right, I plants Apollo, see waters, but God, he's the one who brings the increase, saying we're really just, we're servants. We're servants of the master. So now Paul comes back and he says, listen, this is how you're supposed to regard us, speaking of the apostles. He says that we are, first of all, servants, which we've already been talking about, a servant is someone who's gonna report to someone higher than ourselves, right? We as people, as servants of Jesus, we report to our king. And if this is Paul, I think, well, he's in a apostle. He is a leader in the church, right? He's someone that people would have looked up to, yet he calls himself a servant. And then he also says, we are also stewards. Let's talk about this idea of stewardship for a minute, because I think there's something really powerful here. I want us to understand. To be a steward means that we're not owners. Right, if we're stewards, it means that we're not owners. There's a distinction there. Is there not between an owner and a steward's? Stewards are not owners, but stewards, but we as stewards of the treasures of God's grace and truth, we have a responsibility, but also we are gonna have a level of authority. Or so as God stewards, he is looking for faithfulness on our part. He's important. He's looking for faithfulness. That's what it says. That it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. And this should be, I think, helpful to us, because he's actually not looking for eloquence or success. However, that might be defined, but he's looking for faithfulness. Because so many things in the standards of our world, and even sometimes as American Christians, we have the standards of what it looks like to be a successful follower of Jesus. But in the kingdom of God, success really is obedience to Jesus. It's being found faithful to Jesus. We want on that day we stand before Jesus on the day, which it refers to here, right, the day of the Lord. We want on that day for God to look at us and say, well done, my good and faithful servant. Isn't that what we want? Well done, my good and faithful servant. As stewards, God is looking for faithfulness, not eloquence or success. Stewards in the ancient world were trusted greatly by the master, whoever that might have been. And a lot of times we might think of stewardship and be like, oh, if it's not mine, then how much does it really matter? I feel like I don't have as much skin in the game. But I want to challenge that notion a little bit by examining and looking at what stewardship what have looked like in the ancient world. And we're going to do this by actually reading an ancient document that was actually written from a master to his steward. And I want us to pay attention to how much trust. There's a high level of trust that he is placing in his steward, a lot of responsibility, and a lot of authority for him to act even in the name of his master. Let's go here to-- this is what it says-- I have empowered you by this document-- this is an ancient document written to a steward. I have empowered you by this document to administer my estate in Arsenal and to collect the rents and, if need be, to arrange new leases or to cultivate some land yourself and to give receipts in my name and to transact any business connected with stewardship. Just as I transact it when I am present and to distribute the plots and caromers restoring to me what remains over as to which I rely on your good faith. And I confirm whatever you decide about them. In other words, he's writing to the steward saying, you are going to be me in this whole situation. All of the decisions that you make I am going to trust you. You are acting in my stead in my name in all of this. So there is a very-- the fact that we-- as followers of Jesus, Paul the Apostle says, "Listen, I am a steward." Means that God has vested him with a great amount of trust, responsibility, but also authority. There's a lot going on there with the word steward. Stewards have great responsibility and authority. Because Paul is a steward of God and a steward that is supposed to report to God, this is what he says, is God's judgment is what concerns him. God's judgment is what concerns him. Because remember in the Corinthian church, there's factions that are forming some that are for Paul and some that aren't too crazy about this Paul guy. Therefore, seephist or Peter or there are for Apollos. And Paul looks at him and says, I actually don't report to you guys. At the end of the day, at the end of my life, you want to know who I report to as a steward? I report to God. He's the one that I report to. He says, with me, it's a small thing that I should be judged by you. And he actually says, in fact, I don't even judge myself. And this is where it gets a little bit interesting. He says, I don't even judge myself. He says, he lives really with a pure conscience. He says, I'm not aware of anything against myself. In other words, he's able to look at his life. And there's no just wickedness or vile thing that pops out at him. But he also says, just because I equip myself, I am not thereby acquitted in the eyes of the Lord. And this, to me, if we slow down and think about what that means, that if I sit here and say, you know what? I think I'm doing pretty good as a servant in steward of God. That does not necessarily mean that I'm actually in the right in every area. It reminds me of when Jesus says that on that day, many will come to me and say, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Cast out demons, perform many miracles. And Jesus will say, depart from me. You workers of lawlessness, sorry. I never knew you. Depart from me. You workers of lawlessness. In other words, on the day of the Lord, there will be people who say to themselves, I'm fully acquitted. Like, I am in the right. I am innocent before God. And we'll stand before him. And he'll say, there's going to be some that are self deceived. Does anyone else, you think about that? And it's like, I don't want to be self deceived. I don't want to be self deceived. And so part of being a steward is we are responsible, Paul is saying, I'm not, I don't actually report to you. And he's saying, I don't even report back to me. I have to report to God. So there's a, there's a reverence, right? The Bible talks about the fear of the Lord. So there is this holy awe and reverence that Paul stands in before God. There's not this arrogance or pride, right? That he can puff out his chest and act like he's some great spiritual giants, but instead there's this level of humility that says, yes, I'm living the way that I think I'm supposed to, but at the end of the day, I'm not the one who gets to judge myself. God is actually the one who is going to judge me. And so he says, listen, I'm a steward of God. And when it comes down to it, what concerns him more than anything else is what his God thinks of him. And I ask, how can we get to that place where in our lives we say, God, I care about your judgment, your opinion on my life. More than anything else. How do we get to that place? Right? Isn't that hopefully what we're aiming and striving for? We can get to the place where it's God. I care about what you say more than anything else in the context of all of our relationships. We think about how I behave as a husband, right? In one sense, sure, maybe I report to my wife and as far as my faithfulness to my wife, but at the end of the day it's God. is going to look and there's going to be a judgment there. Whether or not I was found faithful in the eyes of God, we're stewards of and reporting at the end of the day and at the end of the life to to him. Right? So Paul, he says, right, I'm not aware of anything against myself, but that doesn't actually mean I'm acquitted. It's the Lord who's going to judge me. And then he says therefore, anytime there's that word, therefore, we should always pay attention because he's saying, listen, because of everything we just covered, do not pronounce judgment before the time. What does that phrase? The time is speaking of the day of the Lord, that time of judgment, that day, where every one of us will stand before the Lord. He says, don't pronounce that judgment because, guess what? God's going to show up and here's what's going to happen. He's going to bring to light the things now hidden. Think of all the hidden things in a person's life. And sometimes we might think like the hidden negative, right, the hidden sins, which that is true too, right? The hidden sins in someone's life, those things in the darkness that they will one day be actually brought to the light. They will be disclosed. But also, also, and hopefully this is true as followers of Jesus, that there are those hidden acts of righteousness, those small moments where it's between us and God. Nobody else knows what I just did, but God knows that those things will be brought to light. It's things like this, those moments you spend in the next couple of days, I'm going to take a couple minutes and pray for our youth students. That's something that's hidden and concealed, but one day will be brought to light because how does this passage end? It says, then each one will receive his commendation from God. All of those things, Jesus and the sermon on the Mount says, do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. Those hidden acts of righteousness will one day be brought to the surface and brought to the light. And in that moment, we will receive as servants, as stewards, the commendation from God. In other words, we'll stand before him and he'll say, well done, my good and faithful servant. Isn't that what we all want to hear? My well done, my good and faithful servant. And chapter three talked a little bit about how God would reward people. And I always remember growing up and I had the idea that I would have all of these physical treasures, even the phrase storing up for yourself, treasure in heaven, and I would take it overly realistic until you start thinking about it. I think if we're thinking that way as far as rewards in heaven, that's an overly materialistic way of thinking about things. Is it not because what good is a is a bag full of money or jewels or anything else? Why would we care about that? Why don't I know what I care about is having and receiving a commendation from God. Isn't that it to have the creator of the universe when you stand before him and he offers his commendation? That's what I want for him to say, well done, my good and faithful servant, commendation from God. Right? So Paul in the section he's saying, listen, we're stewards, we're responsible actually to God. Yes, I know some Corinthians. You don't actually think I'm a very good apostle or a leader in the church, but guess what? It doesn't matter because I'm going to stand before God. And he's the one who's going to equip me. He's the one who's going to bring to surface these these these even hidden acts of righteousness or hidden sins. They're going to be brought to the light. And I will receive my commendation or not from him. Let's continue here to verse six. Paul continues, I have applied all these things to myself and Apollo's for your benefit, brothers. And there's again that reminder, brothers, right? Because because the tone sometimes with Paul's letters and he probably knew this. So he's got to remind him, listen, I'm talking to you as a member of the same family, right? He says, I'm bringing all these things up that as an apostle, right? I'm a servant. I'm a steward. And I bring it up for your benefit that you may learn not to go beyond what is written, which is an interesting phrase that we're going to talk about. That none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another for who sees anything different in you. What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? All right. So again, Paul is he's he's leading the way trying to and I know there's a bit of irony in trying to lead the way in humility. Like look at me, everybody. I'm super humble. Like obviously that's kind of tough to do, isn't it? Right? He's trying to lead the way though with his humility by acknowledging that him and Apollo, so remember chapter three, they're not anything. They're servants and they're stewards. And he's explaining all of this for your benefit, right? For the benefit of the Corinthians. And we look at it and we see it for our benefit today, right? If the apostles, the leaders of the church speak and act in those ways, if our Savior Jesus acted in a way that led him to the cross, how are we supposed to act as his followers, as his servants as his stewards? Right? And then he says, do not go beyond what is written. And that phrase right there, what does that mean? Do not go beyond what is written. And scholars, there's at least five different options that I was able to find with scholars, you know, they argue about what it refers to, what it means. And this is the one that seems to make the most sense. And really, before we get there, identifying the direct reference to again, the references do not go beyond what is written is really not as important as just reading the next line, right? Because if we just read the next line, it says that none of you may be puffed up, right? It's a warning against pride and spiritual arrogance. So whatever we make of that, and it should be related to this, he is warning them of pride and spiritual arrogance, which has crept into their community. And so he says, not only, right, not being puffed up. And then he says, in favor of one against another, I think another subtle reference to these divisions, right? The arrogance, right? If you inject arrogance into a group of people very quickly, you're going to find division will follow. Is that true? If you inject arrogance and pride and an overconfidence into a group of people, division and factions and infighting is going to very quickly follow. Have you ever met someone who just walks in such a high level of humility that they're difficult to offend? Have you ever known someone like that? Right? They're actually difficult to offend. They're not the type that's just going to get angry at the smallest, the smallest thing, right? There are some of them even sitting in this room, aren't there? Some of you are pointing fingers at each other. Right? So, so, so Paul is, he's warning them of this pride of this arrogance and that phrase, okay, or I want to, I want to look at that first second, that phrase, do not go beyond what is written. This is likely a reference to old Testament scriptures that he has already quoted. If you've paid attention or if you go back and reread and pay close attention to when Paul is quoting from the Old Testament, I'm going to have a slide up here. Hopefully this is helpful. Starting in 1 Corinthians chapter one, he will actually use this phrase, it is written and then he does it again in verse 31, it is written and then again in chapter 3, it is written. So when he says, do not go beyond what is written, it's probably a reference to these passages that he's already bringing up because if we look at these passages, take a look at them up on the screen. Right? In 1 Corinthians, he warns them and there you'll see it in quote, the Old Testament passage and I have it in parentheses as well. He warns them, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the discernment of the discerning, I will thwart. That's front and Isaiah. Then in verse 31, he says, let the one who boasts, boasts in the Lord, what these all have in common is a warning against pride and arrogance. Right? Lastly, it is written, he who catches the wise in their craftiness and again, the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are futile. So you have the way of the world which is so puffed up and arrogant and seeking honor and seeking status and Paul is using really the Bible, the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament to say, we can't act like that. As followers of Jesus, we can't act like that. We cannot go beyond even what is written would be the quote there. So every any, any even ends this passage. Let's go back to chapter seven. Right? Don't be puffed up. Right? For who sees anything different than you? And then he says, what do you have that you did not receive? Think about it. The next breath we take is something that we've received from God. Tomorrow morning when you wake up, that is a day that you have been gifted from God. Is that true? Right? I mean, my heart keeps beating. That is a gift from God. My brain is functioning most of the time my wife would say. And that is a gift from God. And if you received it, he says, why do you boast as if you didn't receive it as if it wasn't just a gift to you? Paul is trying to remind them, right? Teaching them humility, warning them against this pride that is so abundant in the Corinthian community. Let's continue here to verse 8. He says, "Already you have all that you want. Already you have become rich without us. You have become kings and wood that you did reign so that we might share the rule with you." Paul is using, probably a little bit of irony here. And Paul begins his indictment really by making statements. They're both true and false at the same time. They're both true and false at the same time, because they are rich and they are ruling with Christ in a sense, right? Because even earlier on in the book, we talked about how God has already marked them out as holy, right? They've already received this salvation from God. They're already in a sense ruling with Christ, but here's the caveat. And here's the nuance that Paul is going to go on to make. Is they are not ruling with Christ in the way that they are supposed to? Yes, they've become kings. Yes, they're ruling with Christ. Yes, they've become rich as far as receiving the grace of God in such a super abundant way, but they're not acting the way that they're supposed to. And then he goes on to talk about some of his experiences as an apostle, verse 9, "For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become as spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men." They are men sentenced to death. Think about that. They are death row inmates. What are your thoughts towards a death row inmate? Paul is saying, "We're the guy waiting there for our head to get chopped off. That's us. That's the great and mighty apostles that you guys are fighting over who you follow." And he says, "Virgin 10, we are fools for the sake of Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute, or we in shame, other translations will say." So he has three contrasts between the Corinthians and the apostles. He says, "First of all, we're fools and you are wise. Secondly, we're weak and you're strong. And lastly, we are shamed and you are honored." See, the only reason the Corinthians were able to experience wisdom and strength in honor is because Paul was willing to become foolish and weak and shameful for the sake of the gospel. What does that look like in our lives to actually become foolish and weak and shameful for the sake of the gospel? Because Paul went in there and he was a bright guy. He could have spoke with such a high level of rhetoric and flamboyant speech, but he says, "No, I went in there and preached a very simple message. Jesus Christ and him crucified, and I leaned and depended on the power of God." Right, I went in there and instead of I could have put on a show for you guys, but instead what I did was I took the role of a fool with a simple and even upside down message, so that, so that you guys could get saved. He's trying to teach, he's trying to teach the Corinthians, much like Jesus tried to teach his disciples, which when he said, "If you want to be my followers, you must deny yourself. You must pick up your cross and follow me." Right, it's in the same vein as what Jesus was teaching his disciples. Paul is trying to write to the Corinthians and hopefully, we, as believers, are challenged in a similar way where as followers of Jesus, we are called to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him. Right, so we have these contrasts. We became fools so that you can become wise. We are shamed, but you are honored. Right, verse 11, and then it says this, "To the present hour, we hunger and thirst." Again, he's talking about apostles, right? And he goes on and begins to list all of these tribulations that he's been facing. First of all, we hunger and thirst. We're poorly dressed. We're buffeted and homeless. We labor working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless. When persecuted, we endure. When slandered, we entreat. When we have become and are still like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. I don't know what Paul is talking about, that we don't always like to talk about as Christians is suffering. We like to talk about victory. I like to talk about rejoicing and the joy of the Lord. But if I only talk about those things and never touch on suffering, then I'm only getting half the picture because the Corinthians likely had what is called an over-realized eschatology. Now, remember, how did this passage begin back in verse 8? Already you have all you want. You've become rich without us. You have become kings. We've got it all. We've got the healing. We've got the spiritual gifts which were flourishing and in current. We have salvation. We've been delivered. Scholars use the phrase already, not yet, that the kingdom of God is here already. And that's the we can be forgiven, we're saved, we can be healed, we can find joy, we can rejoice in the Lord. But it's not yet, the kingdom of God is not yet here in its fullness, which means people still die, which means there's a funeral this Friday in Red Wing for a kindergarten girl that died. Those are the kinds of things that still happen in this world because death still exists. And the Corinthians had what is called an over-realized eschatology. You want another example I see of this is word of faith healers who will say, okay, praying for someone with cancer or whatever the the condition is, right? You're praying for someone they don't get healed. Well, it must be a lack of faith. And you might think no one actually believes that. Some people do. When my father-in-law was diagnosed with a brain tumor and this was a long time ago and my wife was a little girl, they prayed over him, he didn't get healed. And there were people who told him, you must have some kind of secret sin in your life. That would be an example of over-realized eschatology. In other words, it's a belief that God's kingdom is here already in its fullness. Therefore, everyone should be getting healed without a recognition that no, we're living at a time of overlap, but death still exists. There's still pain and sickness. There are things that happen in this world that we're actually supposed to get on our knees and weep with those who weep. And the Corinthians had, again, there's that phrase of the over-realized eschatology. And Paul is trying to draw them back and he's saying, listen, we, you call us the super apostles, these superstars of the church, which Paul would never call himself that. He says, but look at us. And he goes on this list. He says, we hunger, we thirst, we're dressed terribly, we are homeless, we're working with, with our own hands, but look at how he says, they respond. First of all, when we're reviled, here's our response. We bless. Where's he getting this way of thinking? Again, we look back to Jesus. What are we supposed to do when people hurt us and persecute us? We're supposed to pray for them. All right, so Paul says, when I'm reviled, when we are reviled, we bless. When we're persecuted, understanding the types of persecution that Paul was going through, being thrown in prison, being flagged and beaten, being shipwrecked. I don't know what you guys, I feel like I'm getting really mad and bitter pretty quick. And I'm going to drop the whole like turn the other cheek thing. You know, as soon as that's what my flesh wants to do anyways. Right, but Paul says, when I'm persecuted, we endure. When when slandered, have you ever been slandered before? All right, someone just ripping your name and reputation, even making a blise about you. He says, when that happens, the NLT says, we appeal gently. We appeal gently. There's a gentleness about us as we walk in it. Because the normal way of the world would be when we're reviled, man, we revile back, we fight back. That's what we do, right? That's the pattern of the world when persecuted. Same thing. I'm going to fight back when slandered. Oh, you better watch out. You're going to slander and gossip and trample my name all over town. Right? There's this responsiveness that we have to submit to the Lord and say, "Cause this isn't something we need God's help if we want to actually live some of this out. If we want to pray for those who, and bless those who persecute us, that's not something that's natural or normal, which is why we need to learn to walk in the supernatural, which is why we need the Holy Spirit to help us through it. Let's continue here to verse 14. Paul says, "Listen, I don't write these things so that you'll be ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children." Up to this point, Paul has continually reminded them that, "Listen, you guys are my brothers." Now he steps it up and says, "You're actually my children." He says, "For though you have countless guides in Christ, you've had a potlost come through, you've had Peter come through and build you guys up, but you're going to have countless guides." He says, "You do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel." Right? Paul is now beginning to assert his authority even more, and appeal to them like, "I'm your father." Right? Remember from the book of Acts, we know Paul is the first one to go to this city, Corinth, and to preach the gospel. The first believers and the first community of Jesus followers are formed because Paul went there and preached the gospel, and now they have begun some of them at least to turn their back on their spiritual father. I mean, you see it a lot more when you get to second Corinthians, but imagine the hurt on Paul's end. I think of your own child betraying you. See, I'm still with my kids. I'm in this sweet spot with them where they're elementary age, and so they still think I'm awesome. Right? Remember that with kids? They reach a certain point, and then as teenagers, they begin to turn on the parents. And so with Paul, he's reminding the Corinthians, "I am your father in the faith. Listen to me." Right? As a father would love and nurture his children. He says in verse 16, "I urge you, be imitators of me." Be imitators of me. And I think to myself, what would it look like for me to get to the place where I could confidently assert to someone else that I'm discipling? You know what? Just copy me. Just do what I do. Does anyone feel like they're there? Because man, I'm like, man, follow Jesus because you just do what I do, and you're going to be like, you're going to have a lot of things that are messed up about you. Right? But Paul says, "Listen, be imitators of me." That is why I sent you Timothy, because he's my beloved and faithful child. Is that like a slightter's the Corinthians? Like this guy, he's actually like a faithful child. Like this is my favorite, act more like him. He's my faithful child in the Lord to remind you of my ways in Christ as I teach them everywhere, and in every church. Wow. What a level of a holy confidence. Because Paul knew, right, that this isn't my own righteousness, that God has done a work in me. And he's able to speak with this holy confidence and call the people, be imitators of me. Right? If Paul, he's the one who is blessing those who curse him, patiently and doers persecution, he gently appeals to those who slander him. He calls the Corinthians and we're called today to do those same things. Let's finish it out here, verse 18. He says, "Some are arrogant, as though I am not coming to you." Right? Yeah, there's rumors going around. Oh, yeah, I know that Paul guy. He was here a long time ago. Don't worry about him. We're not going to see him anytime soon, verse 19. But I will come to you soon if the Lord wills. And I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people, but their power. Oh, man. Here we go. There's about to be something that's going to go down. There are these arrogant people, again, arrogance. And this pride is one of the biggest themes of this whole chapter. He says, "I'm going to show up and there's these big talkers." They think they are these spiritual giants. Well, I'm going to show up and we're going to find something out. He says this, "For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk, but in power." Oh, is that good? The kingdom of God is not a kingdom just of talk, but of power. What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod or with love in a spirit of gentleness? Shall I come ready to give you all a bunch of weapons for being kids that are not listening to their father? Or can I come in a spirit of love and of gentleness when he's given him that option? And what's interesting is once you go from first Corinthians to second Corinthians, and you think to yourself, "Oh, the early church, they had it all together. We just need to be just like they were in the early church." But when you go from first Corinthians to second Corinthians, you learn pretty quick. It's not like they just all got their act together like that. You get to second Corinthians, and Paul is greatly distressed. Like, he even feels betrayed. It's a very emotional letter, and the people still seem to pretty messed up. And that gives me some hope. Anybody else? You read that because sometimes we idolize the early church. When you really pay close attention to the New Testament, they were dealing with the same things we're dealing with today. The same sins represented in New River Assembly of God were present at the church and Corinth all those years ago. And even after Paul rebukes them, he has to rebuk them again in the second letter. So Paul, he so earnestly, he's like, you see his heart. You see his heart, he so wants them to get this to live life in accordance with the gospel. Right, but he says God's kingdom is one of power, which Paul claims to to walk in. And he wants to be able to pull the Corinthians. So what does it look like us to be of people not of talk, but of power? I think that's an interesting thought. That's going to be part of our small group discussion tonight. And I look forward to see what some of you think about that. But becoming people who walk in power, if you ever known someone and they just have this this function about them, right, where even a softly spoken word seems to carry this weight with them. And they have this level of authority. Is anyone else you want to walk in that? But you want to walk in that where it's not you because us, even our words and the impact they can make is not a whole lot. But when the Holy Spirit, right, when the Holy Spirit is present, putting those words in our mouth, there can actually be a level of real power attached to it. Man, if the kingdom of God is one of power and not just of talk, we can talk and we can blabber miles all we want. But what does it look like to become people of power? People who are so closely connected with the king that his power flows through us in such real and tangible ways that people, they begin to notice it. That's that's what I want. That's what I want to see new river flowing in. Anyone else you're like, yeah, can we take a moment? We're going to pray and then we're going to break into our small groups. But let's pray over some of these things that were challenged by in this passage, right, from becoming stewards, right, the level of responsibility that we have in authority as stewards, to the warning against arrogance, to becoming people who walk in power and are beyond talks. So Lord, we thank you for your word. God, we ask that you would help us. Lord, in Gardis against any kind of spiritual pride or arrogance. Lord, this chapter over and over again continue to bring it up. And Lord, I pray that we as a church would walk in humility. Lord, just as Jesus did, Lord, just as Paul attempted to walk in, God, help us to do that. Lord, I also ask that you would help us to become a church of power. Lord, not just of talk, but of power. We want to see your power move in real ways. So Lord, we ask for you to move in the name of Jesus. We pray. Amen. (upbeat music)