All Things Are Yours! (In Christ) , 4/12/26

We're going to be continuing in the book of 1

Corinthians after the break for Palm Sunday and

Good Friday and then Easter. Coming back now

to where we left off in 1 Corinthians chapter

1 Corinthians 3 · chapter mention

3. We're going to be reading today from chapter

3, verse 18 to 23. The subject today is one that

is very simple, but it's one that is emphasized

in this passage. All things are yours in Christ.

All things are yours in Christ. We begin reading

chapter 3, verse 18. Let no one deceive himself.

If anyone among you seems to be wise in this

age, let him become a fool that he may become

wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness

with God. For it is written, he catches the wives

in their own craftiness. And again, the Lord

knows the thoughts of the wives that they are

futile. Therefore, let no one boast in men. For

all things are yours. Whether Paul or Apollos

or Cephas. Or the world or life or death. Or

things present or things to come. All are yours.

And you are Christ. And Christ. Is God. Let's

pray and ask God's blessing on this time. Father

we lift this time of teaching and preaching to

you. We pray Lord that you would be pleased.

To grant your spirit. I pray that I might speak

your wisdom Lord. And I pray that we would hear.

Your word Lord as it is given and understand

it. Please give us direction Lord. As we unpack

the wonderful truths that you have. In this word.

We ask this all in the name of Jesus. Amen. William

Tyndale, that great English biblical scholar

and linguist, translator, and Protestant reformer,

and the father of the English Bible, describes

the gospel like this. He says, glad and joyful

tidings that maketh a man's heart glad and maketh

him sing and dance and leap for joy. End quote.

Now he was describing the truth that Paul declares

in this passage, which reveals that the Christian

life is not one that is dour, insipid, or dull,

but neither is it the foolishness of this world.

There is a surpassing vitality, greatness, and

superiority of the Christian faith. And God's

wisdom and provision far exceed the folly of

human wisdom and the small -minded negativity

of factions within Christ's church. Why would

we settle for drinking from the polluted fountains

of this world with all of the envy and strife

and division that factions produce when indeed,

as the scripture says, all things are yours.

Or, as I will repeatedly say, because I'm including

myself in with us as the church of Christ, all

things are ours. They are ours because we belong

to Christ and Christ belongs to God. Every faithful

teacher, whether Paul, Apollos or Cephas or any

others, the world itself, life and death, the

present and the future, they all belong to us.

They are given for our benefit to be received

with gratitude toward the giver, to be enjoyed

and to be used. for God's glory and with his

blessing. Today, I'm going to first consider

this glorious major premise in verses 21 to 23.

Then in application, we're going to go back and

see how some in the Corinthian church had turned

reality upside down in their foolish pursuit

of human wisdom apart from God and in their partisan

spirit, they were missing out on the greatest

wisdom. And they created divisions that robbed

them of the full enjoyment of God's rich blessings

through the various servants that he had provided

for them. So let's begin now with our first,

and this is going to be the major point for today.

All things are yours or ours. In verse 21 to

23. He says, therefore, let no one boast in men,

for all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos

or Cephas or the world or life or death or things

present or things to come, all are yours. There

is much to unpack in this simple statement. It

is very profound. He continues, you are Christ

and Christ is God. So this world -changing statement

by the apostle turns conventional wisdom and

stereotypes on their head. We have been gifted

with great blessings from God. He has showered

on us in abundance his free gifts that are given

to his people. For indeed his church, as Charles

Hodge says, the plan of God contemplates the

permanent exaltation of the redeemed. Let me

say that again. The plan of God. contemplates

the permanent exaltation of the redeemed. Paul

then goes on to describe the various kinds of

all things in four different categories. He does

first in mentioning Paul, Apollos or Cephas,

in which category is God's ministers and teachers.

Second is the world, which is the world in its

widest sense. And I'll explain that a little

more later. Then also in life and death. That's

the third category. And finally, the fourth category,

things present and things to come. Now, I want

to mention at the beginning here, at the outset,

these speak of blessings. In the midst of work,

difficulties, trials, and even persecutions.

Jesus speaks of this in Mark chapter 10 verse

Mark 10:29

29. Even as he warns his disciples about losing

their life for the sake of Christ. Hear the words

of Jesus. He says, so Jesus answered and said,

assuredly I say to you, there is no one who has

left house or brothers. or sisters, or father,

or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for

my sake and the gospels. Who shall not receive

a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brothers,

and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands,

with persecutions, and in the age to come, eternal

life. So Paul is not saying here that all is

easy street. That this is just one great grand

time in which everything is ours and we can just

enjoy it? No, in no way can this be the interpretation.

This is not a prosperity gospel that proclaims

a kind of name -it -and -claim -it doctrine that

seeks, of course, always name and claim Lamborghinis

or great wealth or other such things. No, it

does speak of the trials and the hardships and

the striving for faithfulness and liberty and

virtue because God's blessing belongs to us and

not to the evildoers. And so we have great joy

in what is ours because we labor, we pray, and

we strive for it with patience for God, as the

scripture says in Romans 2 verse 6, will render

Romans 2:6

to each one according to his deeds. Eternal life

to those who, by patient continuance in doing

good, seek for glory, honor, and immortality.

But to those who are self -seeking and do not

obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation,

and wrath, tribulation, and anguish on every

soul of man who does evil, on the Jew first and

also of the Greek. And he comes back again, glory

and honor and peace to everyone who works what

is good to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

For there is no partiality with God. So let's

dig into this list of all things in order to

understand the implication of Paul's statement

more fully. The first he mentions three names.

These are the names of... faithful ministers

to the Corinthian church. They are Paul, Apollos,

and Cephas, or Peter. Now, interestingly, these

are the three names that factions had developed

around. Some said, I'm of Paul. Others said,

I'm of Peter. Others said, I'm of Apollos. And

so Paul here, very skillfully, uses these three

and says, they're all yours. They are all yours.

And so we look here and we see that God's ministers

are given as a gift to God's people. When Christ

ascended, he led captivity captive and gave gifts

to men. Now Paul uses that in the book of Ephesians

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4, where he says that these gifts are

the fact that God himself gave some to be apostles,

some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors

and teachers. for the equipping of the saints,

for the work of the ministry, for the edifying

of the body of Christ, till we all come to the

unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son

of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the

stature of the fullness of Christ. So get this

very carefully here. The church of Jesus Christ

is not the property of the apostles and ministers.

No. Apostles and ministers are... gifts to the

church. In other words, they belong to the church

and they're designed for its edification. The

church is not their property. It does not belong

to the ministry like a kingdom belongs to a king,

but rather the complete opposite. They are God's

gifts to the church and therefore need to be

perceived that way. This is not my domain. This

is not that the church does not belong to any

one person. It belongs to Christ. And then he

gives good gifts to bless his church. And Paul

says here, this is part of what is all yours.

The Corinthians had it all wrong. They thought

that they belonged to a particular faction led

by one of the apostles or ministers. And then

they needed to rally around their guy. This is

my guy. This is the group that I'm with. And

this and my guy is better than your guy. No,

it's Christ's church. The ministers are those

who serve by leading, by leading it well for

the sake of Christ. And they belong to the church

under Christ. When this gets turned around, Factions

develop and followers are then sought to bolster

the influence or the power of that particular

faction. A minister who seeks to cultivate this,

he might do so in order to increase his reign

or his rule and ultimately the corruption of

money, power or sex. Sometimes all three. are

used to control and manipulate the followers

and keep them in line or keep the money flowing.

And we have seen it over and over and over and

over again. Inevitably, when this gets turned

around, factions develop and corruption follows.

It always happens. Therefore, since Christ gives

ministers to his church, then we should enjoy

all that God gives to us. Some might be able

to communicate better than others, or some have

a way of helping you to understand things better

than another, but they are all yours. In this

congregation right now, we have two elders. We

have myself and Brother Ty. Now I do a good bit

of the preaching, but there are things that Ty

does that are much better than what I can do.

And it's interesting, as I'm watching, as we're

growing in this, I see that some things, they

kind of gravitate toward him and to his advice

or counsel and others to me. That's the way it

ought to be. There should not be factions at

all between us. We're all gifts that God gives.

to the church and indeed it goes even much further

than that and i'm not going to get all of this

into all of this today because it's not in this

immediate context but god gives all of you gifts

that minister to one another and to the body

so that the body as a whole is edified and blessed

and god is glorified but that's for another time

so Some communicate better than others. Others

have a way of helping you to understand things

better than another. But they're all yours. Delight

in the gifts that God gives. Now this goes further

than the local church. I think this extends also

to the broader church. And I'm going to take

it and push it out there a little bit further.

Within our own denomination, the communion of

Reformed evangelical churches, there are some

pastors that are well -known in evangelical circles,

and they have differing gifts and abilities in

their speaking and writing. And I'm going to

use some names, not to lift them up, but just

to use them as an example. So there's Douglas

Wilson and Peter Lightheart. They are both known

around the world and are well -regarded by many.

I have benefited from both of them and I have

disagreed on points with the both of them, which

is often the way that it is because we're all

human. But they are both ours to enjoy as God's

ministers in our communion. We look to them as

fathers and as ministers and as helps that help

in the larger body as a whole. But we should

not develop factions around them. Or neither

should we around any others that are more prominent

around, say, like Joe Rignier, Uri Brito, or

Randy Booth, or Steve Jeffrey, or Rich Lasker,

or many others. No, they're all God's ministers

to be used in their respective churches, and

they are also of greater benefit to the communion

as a whole. And we appreciate that. They're all

ours. All of them contribute greatly to the health

and to the vitality of our congregation. but

they are servants of Christ, and there should

be no factions around them. Now in the broader

Reformed world, I would say the same thing. We

have benefited greatly by the preaching and the

teaching or the writing ministries of R .C. Sproul

or of Sinclair Ferguson or of John MacArthur

and Votie Bauckham and Scott Brown and going

back in history of Charles Spurgeon and the Puritans

and Charles Hodge and John Williamson Nevin and

Philip Schaaf and I could just go on and on.

Nick Needham has done some excellent work in

his wonderful series on 2 ,000 years of Christ's

power. If you want a great four -volume set of

church history, I would recommend that one. Dr.

Beakey, Joel Beakey, has done the church a great

service in reprinting many old books. We have

a few here. And he has taught all over the world

on faithful Christian living and theology and

on familial and personal piety. Then there's

many others. There's John Piper and there's...

We could just list a whole bunch of different

people. Men who are faithful Christian men. They

do not 100 % completely agree with one another,

nor do I agree in everything with them. But they

are all ours. They are God's good gifts to the

church. And we receive that as God's gifts. Rather

than pitting them against each other, let us

value and appreciate them as Christ's servants

to the church and not develop factions around

them. I will go further. I'm not minimizing where

we have serious theological differences, but

I'm also grateful for God how... for how Christ

has used various Protestant denominations and

people in them in various ways. There are strong

points that the Baptists have and that the Lutherans

have and that the conservative evangelical Methodists

have and that the evangelical Anglicans and even

the Pentecostals in their emphasis on the active

work of the Holy Spirit. From my background,

from Anabaptists, from, while they are not fully

Protestant, I'm grateful for their emphasis on

obedience to God and strong families. It has

helped to shape my life tremendously. So I look

across all of these, and like I said, yes, we

have some serious disagreements in various theological

things, but here's the main point. Insofar that

they are a true church, and have a saving knowledge

of Jesus Christ, and believe in the gospel, and

the authority of God's word, they are all ours.

Ours to acknowledge and to be benefited by their

faithful example and ministries of writing, teaching,

and preaching. Where some of their teaching is

off, yes, we can warn about it. An attempt to

correct it by faithful teaching. Sometimes distinctions

need to be drawn. Where they are wrong. And we

have occasion to face them. Just like Paul did

to Peter. We can do so. And should do so. But

they are still ours in Christ. As we follow Christ.

And as they follow Christ. Therefore we also.

The scripture says. Seeing that we. Since we

are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.

Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which

so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance

the race that is set before us, looking unto

Jesus. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher

of our faith, who for the joy that was set before

him endured the cross, despising the shame, and

has sat down at the right hand of the throne

of God. Hebrews 12, 1 and 2. Dear Christian,

God's ministers, in so much as they are faithful

ministers before the Lord, as I've just outlined,

they are all God's gifts to his church. And we

must remember that. Not create factions around

each other. Secondly, Paul speaks of the world.

It says Paul, Apollos, and Cephas, and then there

is the world or life or death. So we're going

to look at life and death next. Now, in speaking

of the world, I must delineate between two different

uses of this word, lest you get confused. Because

there is both a negative and a positive meaning

to the word world in the scriptures. So the first

one is the negative. The word world or worldly

is sometimes used to speak of the system of sin

and evil. So this is like it's used in 1 John

2, 15 -17. Do not love the world or the things

in the world. If anyone loves the world, the

love of the Father is not in him. For all that

is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust

of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of

the Father, but is of the world. And the world

is passing away, and the lust of it. But he who

does the will of God abides forever. So in this

passage, John defines the word world as sinful

desires and lusts of the flesh, of the eyes,

and the pride of life. That's what he is referring

to. These are ungodly. Paul uses this in his

letter to Titus in chapter 2, verse 11. For the

grace of God that brings salvation has appeared

to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness

and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously,

and godly in the present age. This is not the

context of the use of the word in our passage

today. But I want to bring it out because there

are many times when the word worldly or world

gets thrown around and we have to make distinction

between what we're talking about in the context.

That's what I'm doing right now. So the world

system of sin and evil is not the context of

one. Our context today is the world in its widest

sense. That is God's created world, the systems

that he has set up, and the whole universe and

created earth that we call our home. This includes

all of the derivative good things that God provides

for us from the created order. That's what we're

talking about today. This belongs to God. He

created it. Excuse me, as David explains in Psalm

24, the earth is the Lord's and it's all its

fullness, the world and all they that dwell therein,

for he has founded it upon the seas and established

it upon the waters. This is the sense that Paul

is writing about in our passage. Sometimes Christians

have gotten these mixed up and they create rules.

that against things that are not called sin as

defined in god's word some of these rules oh

my we could just go on and on and looking at

different then i'm just going to mention a few

some of these rules in various places or cultures

of christian sex or christian face they might

ban colorful clothing or they might be completely

banned drinking alcoholic beverages even though

it's a sin to be drunken, but it's not sin to

taste wine, which we have right here for the

Lord's Supper. They might ban some of them as

any dancing at all or showing strong emotions.

Of course, if you get into some of the real conservative

ones, a car is worldly and a horse is not, so

you have to drive with horses instead of with

cars. Now you can see where this goes. Sometimes

there are overreactions against past excesses,

sometimes based on tradition instead of the word

of God. This happens a lot in strict fundamentalist

areas, some revivalist culture, and in a number

of very conservative church traditions. But we

have to carefully decipher in these, what is

God's word? What does it speak to this? And what

are we free to do under Christ? We have to sort

through these things. So we're going to do that

a little bit more today because God's world consists

of all things are yours. Remember, that's the

framework that we have here. Paul says all things

are yours and that includes the world. Now, over

in Colossians chapter 2, verse 20, Paul asks

Colossians 2:20

the Colossians, he says, Therefore, if you died

with Christ from the basic principles of the

world, why, as though living in the world, do

you subject yourselves to regulations? Do not

touch, do not taste, do not handle, which all

concern things which perish with the using. according

to the commandments and doctrines of men. The

commandment and doctrines of men. These things,

he says, indeed, have an appearance of wisdom

in self -imposed religion, false humility, and

neglect of the body, but they are of no value

against the indulgence of the flesh. So in other

words, some people will see an excess in something,

so they think we need to create a rule about

this. Again, there's hundreds of examples that

could be given, and I'm not going to take the

time to do it. But a rule is created, a regulation

that is according to the commandments of men,

but it's often under the guise of, it's because

of this scriptural principle. You know, we're

to be separate from the world, therefore we need

to really be weird and different from everyone

else in every possible way. That kind of thing.

But here's a few things now to consider about

God's world. As he has given it. Remembering

we don't want to get into the commandments and

regulations and doctrines of men. We want to

look at the word of God. Let the word of God

define to declare to us. What is good and right

and just. And what is sinful. God's word is the

arbiter of that. We are not. God's word is. So

here's a few things to consider about God's world.

as he has given it. First of all, God created

the world to be inhabited. Isaiah 45, 18, For

thus says the Lord who created the heavens, Who

is God, who formed the earth and made it, who

has established it, who has not created it in

vain, who formed it to be inhabited, I am the

Lord, and there is no other. Have you ever heard

the song, This world is not my home, I'm just

a passing through? okay that's that's what kind

of an old one now okay again there's some truth

in it but it gets to be really mixed because

yeah it's true we are looking to eternal life

we're looking to be in glory with god someday

but the fact is that right here right now this

world is our home this is where god has placed

us this is to be inhabited and god has given

it to us For his glory, yes, but also for our

enjoyment. He pours out blessing upon blessing

upon blessing as we live in this inhabited world.

We're going to consider some of those blessings.

He created it to be inhabited. Second, God created

wonderful food to be enjoyed when received with

thanksgiving. To command to abstain from these

is a doctrine of demons. The scripture says if

someone tells you, oh, you can't eat this or

you can't eat this or you can't do this. If it

is something that is good before the Lord that

he has created, then they're wrong. It's a doctrine

of demons. The scripture says now we can get

into healthier foods and all of that. I'm not

getting into all of that today. If you want to

talk more about it, feel free to ask me my opinion

on some of those things. But here's the scripture.

1 Timothy 4, 1 to 5. Now the Spirit expressly

says that in latter times some will depart from

the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and

doctrines of demons. Okay, so get that. That's

pretty clear. Doctrines of demons. What do they

do? They speak lies and hypocrisy. They have

their consciences seared with a hot iron. They

forbid to marry. They command to abstain from

foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving

by those who believe and know the truth. And

then Paul expands this even further. For every

creature of God is good, and nothing is to be

refused if it is received with thanksgiving,

for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

I will grant you that there are some foods that

are much more tasty than others. I'm very glad

that I don't have to survive on a complete diet

of bland fish or of snails or of many other things

that fall into that category. But the fact here

is that God says he has given every creature

to be, it is to be enjoyed. when it is received

with thanksgiving because it's sanctified by

the word of god and prayer and to teach otherwise

is categorically wrong in the scriptures now

just think of all the delights that we enjoy

in our foods and if you're getting hungry i'm

sorry you might just get a little bit hungrier

but just think of the blessings and joys as he

speaks here receiving with thanksgiving What

God has given to us. Again, remember the all

things. Think about a good grilled steak or fresh

smoked salmon or creamy ice cream or chocolate

from cocoa beans, fresh garden vegetables or

potatoes with butter and cream or coffee. All

of these things that God has blessed us with.

Now, some of you might not like. That's okay.

We have the great freedom to enjoy. I'm just

saying it's all ours that God has blessed us

with. He pours out these things upon us. We're

going to get into some of the more blessings

here as we go down. Next, God created man and

woman. Yes, that is God's design. And guess what?

He made them different. And he made them unique.

He made their bodies to be strong and well -formed

and beautiful, although differing from one another.

God speaks of the glory of the Son and describes

it like a man. Which is, he says, the son is

like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and

rejoices like a strong man to run his race. So

there's God's description of the glory of the

beauty of a man. God's word speaks of women in

the scripture. Women like, and here's a list

of them, and I don't have nearly all of them,

but all of them are described in a certain way.

Sarai, Rebecca, Rachel, Tamar, Esther, the daughters

of Job. and the Shunammite woman. All of them

are considered of a beautiful appearance, Abigail,

a beautiful countenance, Sarai, very beautiful

to behold, Rebecca, beautiful form and appearance

is Rachel. God made women lovely, that they are

appeared and they appear to others in a beautiful

way. That is a creation of God. Now there's propriety

with that, of course. And we can look at that

in other scriptures. My point simply here is

that God made us unique. He made our bodies and

they glorify Him. They are created by His design.

They are part of the blessings that He gives

us. Following along with that, God also created

the sexual union between a man and a woman that

is also to be enjoyed within the marriage bond.

This is his idea and his plan. And it also brings

a future. More children who will grow to fulfill

God's command to replenish the earth and subdue

it. So he gives it for enjoyment and for procreation

and thus glorifying him. God creates bountiful

wealth for us to enjoy in various measures as

he sees fit. And we could get into a whole bunch

of different ideas on that, but I'm just going

to take you to 1 Timothy 6, verse 17. Paul says,

1 Timothy 6:17

command those who are rich in this present age

not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain

riches, but in the living God. Who gives us richly

all things to enjoy. Right there we have it again.

God gives all things. And this ties right back

to 1 Corinthians in chapter 3. He gives us all

things in the world. So think with me. Of the

grandeur of creation. I'm going to quote here.

From the moment the sun rises. Painting the sky.

In hues of rose and gold and lavender. To the

velvet darkness scattered with billions of stars.

The heavens declare the glory of their maker.

Mountains tower like ancient sentinels. Snow

-capped peaks in the Rockies. The jagged drama

of the Alps or the misty heights of the Himalayas.

Reminding us of their strength and endurance.

Vast oceans crash. With great power of the waves,

their depths hiding, coral reefs teeming with

neon bright fish, graceful whales, and mysterious

creatures that science is still discovering.

Deserts stretch golden and silent under endless

blue skies, yet bloom miraculously after rain

in carpets of wildflowers. Forests pulse with

life. the towering redwoods that have stood for

millennia, whispering pines and lush rainforests

alive with the calls of exotic birds or the chatter

of monkeys. Even the smallest details dazzle.

A single snowflake forms in perfect hexagonal

symmetry. No two alike. A hummingbird's wings

beat 80 times per second in iridescent blue.

Wildflowers, poppies, lupins, orchids Unfold

in delicate colors and fragrances That no human

artist could fully replicate The changing seasons

cycle Through spring's tender greens and blossoms

Summer's warm abundance Autumn's fiery tapestry

of reds and golds And winter's crystalline hush

Each bringing its own invitation To pause and

to marvel all of creation to us to behold and

to enjoy. The soaring mountains, the beautiful

grassy valleys, the snow scattered like diamonds,

the gentle rain which we've been experiencing,

the crashing thunderstorms, all of the animal

kingdom in the majestic elk, the ponderous elephant,

the giant barrel -shaped tank that is called

the hippopotamus, the swift deer or the cow that

eats grass. And makes the most wonderful steaks

to enjoy on the grill. God has filled this world

with pleasures. Pleasures for our taste. Pleasures

for our sight. In fact, for all of our senses

and abundance for our souls. Even the simplest

things can bring us great pleasure and glory

to God. We have the sight to see sunsets or northern

lights in the field of sunflowers. We have sound

that we can hear the mountain stream over rocks

or the thunder of a waterfall or a bird song

at dawn or the rustle of leaves in the wind.

quiet crackling of a campfire under a starry

night we have the sense of touch that we can

feel the tender love of a child coming up and

giving us a hug and we feel their smooth skin

as we give them a kiss or the the blessing of

a wife or a husband or of feeling the cool mist

of a forest waterfall in your skin or the comforting

weight of fresh snow We have the gift of taste

that is of ripe strawberries bursting with sweetness

or the tang of citrus or the earthiness of fresh

herbs or honey straight from the comb or the

rich comfort of bread warm from the oven like

I smelled just yesterday when my wife baked some

bread. There are waters from clean mountain springs,

juices from the orchard fruits and the endless

variety. of foods from every climate. We have

the gift of smell, the clean scent after rain,

which again, we just experienced that, or pine

needles that crushed underfoot, or the ocean

salt air, or a blooming rose, or bougainvillea,

or again, a baking bread. Our life is not just

survival. It is lavish enjoyment by the good

gift of God. Think of the simple joy of biting

into a fresh peach on a summer day or watching

fireflies, which we don't have in the West, light

up in a meadow at twilight, or at least I don't

think we do anywhere. We don't see it here, but

in the East, it's all over the place. Or standing

on a cliff overlooking the sea as the waves roar

below. Our life is not just survival. It is lavish

enjoyment. Then there is music, and then there's

art, and there's beautifully crafted buildings.

Do you know that the first recorded person who

was filled with the Holy Spirit in the Word of

God was a craftsman, a builder, and an architect?

He was a designer. His name was Bezalel, and

then Aholiab, and then there was also wise -hearted

men who worked with them to build the tabernacle

in the wilderness. That is in Exodus chapter

Exodus 31 · chapter mention

31. All of these things are God's gifts. The

world, brothers and sisters, is ours that God

has given to us. So life with God and in God's

universe is anything but dull and drab and useless,

which is precisely why cultures that hate God

promote ugliness, disorder, and disarray. It's

precisely why they do it. I'm taking the time

to go through all of this so that we can understand

that to all believers in Christ, the world is

ours. Ours to use, ours to develop, ours to refine,

ours to make and to keep beautiful and orderly

and to show forth the glory of God and to exalt

Him. And we need to keep this in mind as we care

for our properties and as we enjoy our foods

and as we live as husbands and wives and have

families and as we work our jobs and earn the

money and build wealth. As we see and experience

all these things, they should cause our hearts

to swell in exaltation and in praise to our God

and to worship. I encourage you this afternoon,

read Psalm 104 in light of all of this. I don't

have time to do it today, but verse 24. O Lord,

how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou

made them all. The earth is full of thy riches.

Then Paul says, life and death. This is also

ours. Life to enjoy under God's blessing and

approbation. Jesus says, the thief does not come

except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I

have come that they might have life. And that

they might have it more abundantly. Of course

that's also referring to spiritual life. And

that's why again saying under God. We have the

vitality only of our natural life. But also of

spiritual life pulsating within us. God pours

out his blessings in life. And I've been describing

much of that. But death brothers and sisters.

Death is also ours. When our life's work is finished.

And we rest from our labors and with Christ.

Paul, having experienced much hardship and labor

on behalf of Christ and his church, tells the

Philippians, for I am hard pressed between the

two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ,

which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain

in the flesh is more needful for you. Psalm 116

Psalms 116:15

verse 15, precious in the sight of the Lord.

Is the death of his saints. In Romans 14 verse

Romans 14:8

8. For if we live. We live to the Lord. And if

we die. We die to the Lord. Therefore. Whether

we live. Or die. We are the Lord's. This is ours.

As well. The Heidelberg Catechism in question

1. Captures this most beautifully. What is your

only comfort in life and in death? That I am

not my own, but belong body and soul in life

and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

This is our hope and our promise. Then he moves

on. He says of things present and things to come.

This speaks of time. Time is ours. God gives

to each of us 24 hours in a day, seven days in

a week, which one of them being a day of rest

unto him, 365 days in a year. Now, you know,

God is all in all. Do you ever think about this?

And yet he gives us six days to work and one

day of rest to him and worship to him. Very interesting

how God does this. Even in his greatness and

in his glory, he calls us for one day of rest

and worship that is especially dedicated to him.

And then six days he gives to us under his blessing

to work, to labor, to enjoy, to do all of the

other things that we have to do. He gives us

these six days. He sets up the seasons for us

and time is ours to live in and to glorify our

father in heaven. Yet in all these things, we

are more than conquerors through him who loved

us. Paul speaks of this, says, I am persuaded

that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor

principalities, nor powers, nor things present,

nor things to come, nor height, nor depth. nor

any other created thing shall be able to separate

us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus

our Lord. Romans 8, 37 -39 We are kept by God

in the time that is allotted to us by His sovereign

decree. And having received the gift of eternal

life, we then live not only with the enjoyment

of our life as it is now, but with a living hope.

For blessed be the God and Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 1 verse 3, who according

1 Peter 1:3

to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to

a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus

Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible

and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved

in heaven for you who are kept. by the power

of God through faith for salvation, ready to

be revealed at the last time. This is our hope.

And he ends all of these statements here, he

ends them with, or things to come. That is the

time in the future, the time eternal. Yes, that

is ours also. He again emphasizes, all are yours.

This is God's world. Colossians 1. the earth

beneath, all spirits, principalities, and powers,

the church, and all civil governments belong

to Christ, all families. They are all to yield

to him in obedience and worship. And that is

where the unifying thing of all of the gifts

that God has given, they are designed for our

blessings and enjoyment, but as an aid to worship

him. As you see the glories and the wonders and

the blessings of life that you experience, let

your heart rise in continual worship for the

gifts that he has given. Excuse me. I need to

close with two applications. And I'm going back

here to this passage, which I'm going to go before

what led before in order for Paul to give this

glorious statement that we've been speaking about.

back at verse 18 he says let no one deceive himself

if any among you seems to be wise in this age

let him become a fool that he may become wise

for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with

god for it is written he catches the wise in

their own craftiness and again the lord knows

the thoughts of the wise that they are futile

The wisdom of the worldly wise man is contrary

to all that we have said today and to what Paul

has been saying. about all things being ours.

Why is this? Well, it's because professing to

be wise, they became fools and changed the glory

of the incorruptible God into an image made like

corruptible men and birds and four -footed animals

and creeping things. Romans 1, 22 and 23. So

then, when Christians go to drink of the wisdom

of the world, they are imbibing from a polluted

spring. Now, why would you do that? This is the

point Paul's making. Why would you do that? you

have all that is yours. All that God has given

to you, in which he has given to us, in which

I have more fully described from God's word for

you. Why would we go and drink from the polluted

fountains of this world? To let no one deceive

himself about human wisdom. Rather, become a

fool that is in their perspective, so that you

might become wise. In other words, what the unbelieving

world thinks is foolishness, It's actually wisdom

according to God. If God's world is ours, then

let us learn of him and not what those who deny

God think is wisdom. So we need to get our priorities

and our understanding right. Paul says, let no

one deceive himself about this wisdom of the

world. Secondly, he then says, let no one boast

in man. Verse 21, therefore let no one boast

in men for all things are yours. This completely

cuts against the factions that the Corinthians

were facilitating and separating themselves from

one another. And here's the thing, it was cutting

them short. Why have a faction around one particular

man and you're limited to what? To that man's

experience or that man's teaching when the world

is yours. And all of the teachings and blessings

that come from various men and men of God who

have preached and who have taught, it's all ours

to enjoy. So why would we limit ourselves to

just one tiny little segment of the Christian

faith? No. It is just, let no one boast in man,

he says. Furthermore, men are fallible. Men make

mistakes. Men sin. If you put your trust in a

particular man, you will be disappointed. So

why boast in man when we have so much more? Finally

then, we belong to Christ and Christ is God's.

I'll close with these words in 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8:6

8 verse 6. Yet for us there is one God, the Father,

of whom are all things. And we for him. And one

Lord Jesus Christ. Through whom are all things.

And through whom we live. May it be so. As we

go and enjoy the world that God has given. And

give praise for him. Let's pray.