The Final Word: Love For All! 1 Corinthians 16:13-24

Today we will finish our study of Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. I went back this week to see when we first began our study and it was on September 13, 2020. That’s a long time to spend studying one book of the Bible, but I’ve been so blessed by all of the things I’ve learned and I hope you have as well. I’ve learned that there is really no difference between the church in Corinth and churches today. The church was filled with people who struggled with life in a variety of ways and who were surrounded by a culture that pulled at them from every direction to compromise their faith and allegiance to Jesus. Their belief in Jesus was fine as long as they also believed in everything the popular culture believed in. That’s the same problem we are facing in our day is it not? For the church in Corinth and for the Church today, there were and are problems inside the church, and most certainly there were problems awaiting them as soon as they walked out into the world. Sounds like our day doesn’t it?  For sixteen chapters and over 9400 words, Paul’s longest letter, he conveyed his love, his disappointments, his correction, and his encouragement to all of the brothers and sisters in Corinth. In some places, Paul was tough as nails, his words echo like a grizzled football coach barking out his commands. In other places, Paul was appalled, unbelieving of the shameful behavior of those who had been claimed by Jesus as His own. And, in other places, Paul could not have been more tender and loving in his message to this messy church. There’s a constant theme that flows from Paul’s pen regardless of whether his words are tough or tender and that is love. Paul leaves no question in the minds of the people of Corinth that his love for them is unwavering, relentless, and without fail.  And that is why the final words that flowed from Paul’s pen were, “My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.” Let’s read our Scripture for this morning and see what we can learn. 

13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love. 15 You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the Lord's people. I urge you, brothers and sisters, 16 to submit to such people and to everyone who joins in the work and labors at it. 17 I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. 18 For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition. 19 The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. 20 All the brothers and sisters here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 21 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen. (1 Corinthians 16:13-24 NIV)

In these final verses Paul gives the people of Corinth marching orders on how they are to relate to the world around them as well as how they are to relate to their brothers and sisters in the church. Paul’s guidance on how to relate to the world around them, in verse 13, is so important for you and me to not only learn, but to apply to our daily lives. Paul says they must be on guard, or wide awake, standing firm, courageous, strong, and that every engagement, every act, every word spoken, must be done with love. This verse of instruction is so important for you and me that we need to take a moment and examine each command individually. First of all, “Be on your guard.” Other translations of the Greek have “be watchful” or “be alert.” The Greek word, “gregoreo," can mean, “to watch, be awake, or be vigilant.” Let me show you some of the places where this same word appears in the New Testament so you can get an idea of what we are to be watching for in life. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told His disciples,

38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mark 14:38 NIV)

Temptation to compromise our walk with the Lord is all around us. Some of the temptations will most certainly come and appear to be exciting, wonderful, and not doing anyone any harm. How many times have we said those very words? This is why we need to not only watch, but pray. The Lord can and will quicken us, convict us, and seek to turn us away from that which can bring great destruction and harm if we are not watchful. When I was in college I had a coach that would tell us over and over again, “Keep your head on a swivel.” Keep your eyes wide open, stay alert, or you are most definitely going to get lit up!” The same word is used by Peter in 1 Peter 5:8 to tell the people to watch out for the enemy of God’s people, the devil. Peter writes,

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8 NIV)

I’m fully aware that more and more of the followers of Jesus today do not believe in the literal existence of the devil. George Barna, in a study he conducted found, 

Four out of ten Christians (40%) strongly agreed that Satan “is not a living being but is a symbol of evil.” An additional two out of ten Christians (19%) said they “agree somewhat” with that perspective. (George Barna. Most American Christians Do Not Believe that Satan or The Holy Spirit Exists. 2009). 

For those of you doing the math, that’s 59% of the followers of Jesus who do not believe or somewhat believe that Satan isn’t real. What is truly fascinating, maybe alarming is a better word, is that George Barna conducted another study in April of 2020, not of Christians, but of Americans from every walk of life. In that study, Barna found that 51% of Americans believe that God is the “all powerful, all knowing, perfect, and just Creator of the universe who rules the world today.” 51% believe this about God, but 56% of Americans believe “Satan is not merely a symbol of evil but is a real spiritual being and influences human lives.” Barna writes,

Americans are now more confident about the existence of Satan than they are of God! (George Barna. American Worldview Inventory 2020. April, 2020).

Is that not mind-boggling to you? What has happened to the followers of Jesus that has led to such a misunderstanding of who Satan is what he intends? If we know and are following Jesus’ teaching then there should be no question about who Satan is and what he is attempting to do in your life and mine. Maybe that is the problem; we are not reading, studying, and learning what Jesus taught. If that is the case then we are not “on guard,” we are not “alert,” and we will most surely be led astray. That leads us to the third example I want to show you. Turn with me to Acts 20:28-32 where we find Paul meeting with the leaders of the church in Ephesus. He told them he would never see them again and then he shared this important message with them. 

28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 32 "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:28-32 NIV)

“Keep watch!” “Be on your guard!” Remember, Paul was speaking to those in the church about those who would attempt to come into the church and lead people away from the truth. Let’s move on. Second, Paul says the brothers and sisters in Corinth must “stand firm in the faith.” Just last Sunday, in our Sunday morning Bible study, we took a look at how Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, compromised God’s call on his life. The compromise was slow and incremental, but in the end it proved disastrous. Solomon failed to stand firm on God’s command not to worship any god, but the One, True, and Living God. He had wives and concubines, people who were close to him, to worship other gods, and eventually Solomon gave in and began to worship them as well. Compromise is a necessary, beneficial skill to have in life. If we are not willing to compromise, make adjustments, learn what are the negotiables and non-negotiables  in your relationships with your husband, wife, kids, neighbors, co-workers, and friends then life will be filled with drama and brokenness. But, when it comes to our commitment and allegiance to the Lord and His truth, compromise will always be disastrous. Paul has already urged the brothers and sisters in Corinth to “stand firm,” back in 1 Corinthians 15. Take a look at it with me.

58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV)

In Daniel 3, we find three young Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego serving in a foreign land filled with gods which weren’t God. A decree went out from King Nebuchadnezzar that whenever the music played everyone was to stop what they were doing and bow down to the golden image set up by the king. The three Hebrew young men refused, they were arrested, and brought before the king. The king said, “Bow or be thrown into the fiery furnace!” Then they answered the king…

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18 NIV)

“God can rescue us, but even if He does not, we will not bow down to any god except the One, True, and Living God.” Much time has passed since I first became a follower of Jesus and I’m certain that the cultural heat is being turned up to try and persuade you and me that we need to adapt to the modern way of life, the modern way of believing. There are many things I’m willing to make compromises about, but there are some things I simply can not. I will not deny the Lordship of Jesus. Jesus is King and there is no other. I can not compromise on the salvation found in Jesus alone. He is God’s Savior sent to those who are lost, alienated from God, as the only means of reconciliation and restoration. I can not compromise on the Truth of God’s Word. I cannot compromise the urgency of sharing the Good News of who Jesus is and what He has done on the Cross with every person who needs His saving grace and mercy.Third, the followers of Jesus are to “be courageous.” Several English translations of the Greek New Testament translate the Greek word, “andrizomai," “act like a man.”  This isn’t because Paul was a sexist, but because the root of the word is the word for “man.” What Paul is telling the Corinthians is to “be mature.” Do you remember what Paul told the folks in the church at Corinth back in 1 Corinthians 3? Read it with me.

1 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly-- mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. (1 Corinthians 3:1-2 NIV)

And then, eleven chapters later, Paul urges the followers of Jesus in Corinth to stop thinking like children. Read 1 Corinthians 14:20 with me.

20 Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. (1 Corinthians 14:20 NIV)

When Paul says, “be courageous,” he is urging them to demonstrate mature courage. Chuck Swindoll writes,

Essentially, it means to grow up, start acting like an adult rather than like a child, push toward spiritual maturity rather than wallow in your preschool mantra of ‘me, me, me.’ (Swindoll, Charles. Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary: 1 & 2 Corinthians. pg. 269).

Paul was urging the brothers and sisters to be courageous and he was a living, breathing example of what godly courage looked like, what godly courage looked like in daily living. We gain our courage from the Lord there is no doubt. He is the One who makes us courageous, but God also uses our brothers and sisters in Christ to model courage before us and we need godly courage with skin on to inspire us and move us to be courageous when it would be so much easier to shrink back. I was reminded of this during the past week as I was studying this Greek word. The Greek word for “be courageous” or “be mature” is only found here in 1 Corinthians 16:13, but it is found 22 times in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. The example of a courageous leader can inspire courage in others and a great example of this is found in Moses’ relationship with Joshua. Moses didn’t begin as a courageous leader, but Moses witnessed God’s provision over and over again and during his life he became a courageous leader. As Moses neared the end of his life God prepared Joshua to take over the mantle of leadership for Moses. I’m sure Joshua thought he could never fill the shoes of the great leader Moses and when he got the word he was scared to death. In Deuteronomy 31 we read about a time when Moses spoke to Joshua. Read it with me.

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deuteronomy 31:7-8 NIV)

The fact of the matter is that Joshua, at this point, was afraid and discouraged, he was not courageous at all, but terrified of the baton being placed in his hands. Over and over again, in Joshua 1, after the death of Moses, God tells Joshua, “Be strong and courageous!” Something happened between Joshua 1 and Joshua 10. Joshua no doubt had experienced the same provision from the Lord that Moses had experienced and his courage had grown. In Joshua 10, he sounds like his old mentor Moses when Joshua tells the people, 

25 Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight." (Joshua 10:25 NIV)

Fourth, the followers of Jesus are urged to “be strong.” In our day we value physical strength, but physical strength is of little value in a spiritual battle. We face daily battles with temptation. We face ongoing battles with the trials and troubles of life that come at us with no warning. In these battles physical strength is as useless as fighting a war with water guns.  Paul wrote to Timothy,

8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:8 NIV)

There’s something really interesting about this little word translated “be strong.” In the Greek New Testament the word is in the passive voice which, if it were literally translated, would read, “be strengthened.” Our strength runs low. We become weary, worn down, and eventually worn out in fighting the battles of life. That doesn’t mean that we should give up. It does mean that we need a source of strength which is much stronger than our own. David found this to be true when he was faced with an overwhelmingly distressing situation in his life. His men, his closest friends, were so distraught when they found their homes had been destroyed and their families had been taken captive. They blamed David and were planning on killing him. Take a look at 1 Samuel 30:6 with me so we can learn how David responded.

6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. (1 Samuel 30:6 NIV)

David found strength, a strength he did not possess, in the Lord. This is why God’s Word tells us that Paul encouraged the believers in Ephesus: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (Ephesians 6:10 NIV) Paul was able to encourage others to be strong in the Lord because he had found the strength he needed for every occasion, for every temptation, and every trial in the Lord. That is why he wrote, 

12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:12-13 NIV)

What is it that has wrung you out and worn you down? What has you so preoccupied that you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? I don’t know the answer to that question for you, but He does and He is able to be your strength in the midst of the battle. The “secret of being content in every situation” is really no secret at all–He is our strength. Finally, we are to do everything in love. Love is the foundation of our faith. Because God loved us He sent His Son to rescue us from ourselves and our sinful brokenness. Because God loves us He sent His Son to reconcile us, to remove the wall of separation between us and God which has been there because of our sin. Because God loves us He forgives us our sins when we come to Him in repentance. Because God loves us He provides for us everything we need in life. Because God loves He acts. Jesus is the embodiment of God’s love. I would encourage you to read the Gospels and mark every instance of the times that Jesus showed the Father’s love to those in His day. Even while He hung on the cross, Jesus looked down at those who put Him there and said, “Father forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.” For three years Jesus demonstrated the love of the Father as He walked through the streets of Jerusalem, taught the people by the Sea of Galilee, and visited the sick, broken, and lost with love and compassion all throughout the land of Israel. What Jesus did, He calls you and me to do. Following Jesus is not a philosophical exercise, it is a call to action, a call to a life of sacrificial love. Jesus told His disciples…

34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35 NIV)

Isn’t it interesting? Jesus didn’t say that all people would know we are His disciples if we are able to quote Scripture, even though I’m a big advocate of hiding God’s Word in our hearts. He didn’t say everyone would know we are His disciples if we are able to talk like a scholar about theology, ecclesiology, soteriology, and eschatology. I could go on, but we’re running out of time. Jesus said all people, that’s all people, they will know we belong to Him if we love others, all others, in the same way He has loved us. Jesus’ disciples learned well. They didn’t forget the lessons they learned during those three years they walked with Jesus. Peter wrote,

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8 NIV)

“Above all…” I must close but before I do I want to share a story with you. I went to lunch with a new friend this past week. We were talking about his plans for the future when he told me that someone in his office learned that he was a Christian and said, “Why would you want to be part of such a hateful group?” I said, “You know, we have done that to ourselves.” I explained. We, as followers of Jesus, have lost our focus. We have allowed this issue or that issue to divide us instead of keeping the main thing our sole passion. Out in the world there are a thousand issues, like politics, that divide, but our commitment is not to a party, but to a Person and He makes us one. Paul came to Corinth and he told them, 

1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:1-2 NIV)

Paul didn’t dabble in politics or philosophy. He never held himself out to an erudite scholar. He had one mission, one purpose, and one passion: To share Jesus with those who needed Him. Let’s make that our mission as well. Mike HaysBritton Christian Church922 NW 91stOKC, OK. 73114June 26, 2022