1 Corinthians Chapter 16 "Faithful to the Finish"

Good evening and welcome. Again, this is the the last

sermon in our series through First Corinthians and we've

actually had 2022 messages. So here we go.

One Corinthians chapter 16, verses 1 to 24.

The title of tonight's message is Faithful to the finish.

So Paul has just finished chapter 15 with this, this

sweeping vision of resurrection, hope and the glory, the the

victory that is there, the the transformation of our bodies.

It's this majestic theology. But then what what comes next is

it's not like a celestial choir breaking out in the Hallelujah

Chorus. He breaks into chapter 16 with

the church offering schedule and we looked at this last week in

greater detail and it seems like this jarring shift from from

heavenly glory in chapter 15 to then handling money from the

resurrection to responsibility. Paul doesn't actually see a

contradiction here and it's because of this gospel doctrine

must lead to a gospel driven life.

So you see, if, if I really believe that I have a glorious

future and that my body is going to be transformed at some point

in the future, you know that I'm going to be in heaven with the

Lord forever and and then come back and serve 1000 years in a

remade earth, a a millennial Kingdom in a, in a glorified

body. Then that should motivate me to

do as Jesus said here on earth. You know when he said layout for

yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust cannot

corrupt, where where thieves cannot break in and steal.

It's all of that so so knowing the future glories of heaven and

and bodily resurrection. I want to live on earth with

eternity on my mind and behaviour.

And so we can never cut or detach the future from the

present. And so thus Paul, he he gets

very, very practical in chapter 16.

He lands the plane of of 1 Corinthians in chapter 16 with

with this ordinary earthy but essential detail of, of what a

faithful church looks like, how it handles money, how it

responds to leaders, how it lives in love and leans into

grace. So think of the final chapter

not as a throwaway, but as a call to finish well.

And so to help us hear it tonight, let's frame Paul's

words under 3 headings. Number one, priority of giving.

We see that in verses 1 to 4 again.

And then secondly, posture in ministry in verses 5 to 9, and

then ahead into 13 and 14. And then thirdly and finally,

for us some people to honour in verses 10 to 24.

So let's look again, priority of giving verses 1 to 4.

I'm reading from the New King James Version now concerning the

collection for the Saints. As I've given orders to the

churches of Galatia, so you must do also on the first day of the

week, let each one of you lay something aside, stirring up as

he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters, I will

send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.

But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.

So Paul starts with a very practical concern.

It's it's the offering for the struggling Saints in Jerusalem

and and it seems like a surprising place to begin unless

you remember what Jesus said again, where your treasure is

there your heart will be also. Matthew 6 verse 21.

Matthew 6:21

Now Martin Luther said something interesting.

He said there's three conversions that are necessary.

The conversion of the heart, the conversion of the mind, a

person's thought, life, and he said the conversion of, of their

purse, or we would say it today, their wallet or chequebook or

bank account. And those three conversions are

truly necessary. So Paul was speaking to

converted people, the Gentile church in Corinth converted in

heart, converted in mind, and he wanted to make sure that their

attitude towards money was also converted.

And so he asked that an offering would be taken up to support the

believers in Jerusalem who are struggling at this time under,

under heavy persecution. And in that what we see is, is

giving in our lives reflects gospel gratitude.

Paul doesn't open with a command for a a specific amount, but

what he is calling for is, is a pattern here.

And, and the principle that he indicates is of regularity in

our giving of, of proportional giving and, and cheerful giving.

And, and giving is so central. Why?

Because it, it demonstrates our relationship with God.

And Paul knows that financial habits are spiritual habits.

And so giving isn't God's way of raising cash.

It's, it's actually his way of raising children.

If we treasure the gospel, we'll be compelled to give in ways

that honour God's Kingdom. So let's look practically the

the specific guidance Paul provides is that that weekly

they were on the first day of the week.

That was the the time when they would gather for worship.

It's the Sunday and it emphasises regularity, not like

this one off sporadic act of charity, but it's also part of

their their worship time. And so it gave a structure that

prioritised God and, and his work.

And, and here, like I say on a weekly basis, it was personal.

He said each one of you. And, and it spoke to the

individual nature of giving. It wasn't just for the wealthy

in the congregation, but everyone in the congregation, no

matter how seemingly little or, or, or much that was given, but

a personal 1. And it was proportional.

It says, as he may prosper. You know, God never asks us to

give what we don't have, but to give according to what we do

have. And then he he indicates Paul

that it's to be prepared so that he says no collections need to

be made when I come. So it was this planned ahead of

time process, something that would not put the church on the

spot when when Paul did arrive. And, and the heart of giving

that's evident there is about it being a Worshipful component,

not an obligatory thing, but very intentional, very

Worshipful and, and, and for joy to be a part of it.

But you know, it also built this, this gospel unity because

the Gentile Christians were supporting the Jewish

Christians. Paul demonstrated that the

gospel binds in this way across cultural and ethnic lines.

And, and though the Gentiles had been outside of God's promises

that they were now Co heirs with the Jewish believers in Christ.

And so they were asked to support the church in Jerusalem.

And again, this has direct application for us today.

You know, a local church here in Australia, for example, we're

called to support missionaries and, and we do that in places

like Fiji and, and elsewhere. When the, when the need and

opportunity arises, it's, it's our giving then as a testimony

of, of the unity, a declaration that we're one in Christ.

And when we give, we're actually participating something much

bigger than ourselves. It's not just financial support,

it's the expansion of God's Kingdom.

It's, it's the worship of God's people unto the Lord.

It, it ties us to the mission of the church, linking us not only

with the needs we see, but with the whole global body of Christ.

So that's, that's Paul's first initial declaration.

And then secondly, we move on to the posture and ministry that he

provides. And we'll read these verses, but

what he's doing is, is he's opening up his schedule to them,

his his travel plans, his delays and the opportunities and the

opposition that he's experiencing and countering.

So verse 5, it says, now I will come to you when I pass through

Macedonia, for I am passing through Macedonia.

And it may be verse 6, that I will remain or or even spend the

winter with you that you may send me on my journey wherever I

go. For I do not wish to see you now

on the way, but I hope to stay a while with you if the Lord

permits. But I will tarry in Ephesus

until Pentecost, for a great and effective door has opened to me.

And there are many adversaries. And if Timothy comes, see that

he may be. Well, actually, we'll get back

to that. Let's jump ahead to verse 13.

And it says, watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be

strong, let all that you do be done with love.

So again, it's it's it's seemingly mundane kind of

practical information. But but Paul, he reveals a

particular posture in ministry through the revelation that

we've just read. There's a flexibility in in his

vision. Paul's ministry was always

marked by intentionality and flexibility.

He's making plans, but he's also making room for God's guidance.

He says, again, I hope to spend some time with you, But look at

this. If the Lord permits.

And Paul was a visionary, he was a planner, but he also knew the

importance of surrendering his plans to God's sovereign will.

Doesn't James chapter 4 remind us that we're not promised

James 4 · chapter mention

tomorrow in verses 13 to 15? You know, planning is wise, but

we must always hold our plans lightly.

Our lives, you see, are ultimately in God's hands.

And the keyword again in Paul's schedule as we read is if the

Lord permits, you know, in in our lives, it's easy for us to

make rigid plans. But you know, haven't you found

that things often don't go as expected?

Sometimes that can seem like a disappointment to us, but other

times we we understand it and maybe we'll understand more on

the other side of eternity. But it it's a divine

interruption. And so in the Kingdom of God,

our calendars are not our own. They belong to the one who

directs our steps. And that's how we ought to live.

We're to live with with this caveat, if the Lord permits, if

the Lord wills. So again, go back to James,

James, chapter 4. James says, come now, you who

James 4 · chapter mention

say today or tomorrow we're going to go into such and such a

city and spend a year there and buy and sell and make a profit,

whereas you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow.

For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appears

for a short time then vanishes away.

Rather he said you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we shall live

and do this or that. So you know what, you and I, we

don't even know if the Lord wants us to live into tomorrow,

let alone do this or that. But if it's the Lord's will,

great. So we we make our plans, but

always give God elbow room because he's going to take it

anyway. Be flexible, be practical, be

flexible. Trust God with your time and

opportunities. So Paul's attitude here is of

surrender and trust. It's not a refusal to plan.

It's an openness to change. And then in verses 13 and 14, we

read those at the end there. There's this this courage that's

kind of commanded or or commended to the people in

current, but compassion runs through it as well.

It cuts deep into the heart of what it means to be a faithful

leader and follower of Christ. Be watchful, he says.

This speaks to spiritual vigilance.

As believers, we must be aware of the spiritual battles

surrounding us, especially as and when we step out in

ministry. Being watchful means being

prayerful, mindful of the schemes of the enemy, cautious

of complacency in our lives. He says to them, stand firm in

the faith. And Paul calls us to hold our

ground. You know, when opposition,

distractions, or even our own doubts arise, we cling to the

unchanging gospel. Stand firm, act like men.

This here isn't about bravado or ego.

What it is about is spiritual maturity and strength coupled

with gentleness and humility. And so the call is for men

specifically to rise up in courage, to lead, to stand firm,

to endure hardship for the sake of the gospel.

Don't we live in a culture that that denigrates men?

You just have to watch the average sitcom to see that it's

like the the dad or the man is, is kind of the butt of all the

jokes and he's totally incompetent, doesn't know what

what day it is and needs everybody else to help him out.

So he's almost there for like the comedic relief.

But I want to give you one verse that Paul already gave us

earlier in this same book. And I want to encourage all of

my brothers gathered here tonight to memorise it because

it'll change your life. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 7, Paul

1 Corinthians 11:7

says that men are the glory of what God.

Men are the glory of God. Gentlemen, when was the last

time someone told you that? I know you've heard you're an

idiot, you're a young guy, you've got no potential.

What do you know? And you've not done anything and

and all of this sort of derogatory negative language.

But gentlemen, you're the image of God.

So act like it, fulfil that identity and be strong flows out

of that. That the strength that Paul

speaks of here is not of raw physical power, but of spiritual

resilience. It's strength here.

It's a strength here that that holds firm in faith and love

even when the world is shaking. So here's the application.

In a world that is increasingly hostile to the gospel, men and

women of courage are needed. We need men who stand strong in

their faith, resist the world's temptations, and lead with love.

To act like men, in Paul's view, is not to be aggressive or

domineering, but to model Christ.

Like strength. This is strength rooted in love

grounded in truth. We need women who hold their

families in prayer, who encourage their brothers and

sisters, who stand firm on God's word in the face of opposition.

So Paul there, he's he's encouraged them with with the

posture and ministry that that he's all about and that flows on

into impacting them. And now he wants to thirdly and

lastly for us in verses 10 to 24, just honour a few people and

mention them by name. And he closes with names that

maybe you have or or haven't heard of in, in Timothy, in

Apollos and Stefanus Fortunatus, Priscilla and Aquila and a few

others. And I want you to know they're,

they're not footnotes. They're actually faithful people

that that Paul takes deliberate time to mention and to honour.

So we're going to read these verses as we go along.

But he's recognising the labourers that contributed to

the ministry. So he continues, continues these

final exhortations. Now if Timothy, he says verse 10

comes, see that he may be with you without fear, for he does

the work of the Lord as I do also.

Therefore let no one despise him.

Send him on his journey in peace that he may come to me for I'm

waiting for him with the brethren.

You know about Timothy, right is Paul's protege.

He's what Paul referred to as my son in the faith.

He'd met him on his first missionary journey.

He was a young fellow then he'd become a believer.

His his mother was a Jewish believer.

His grandma was a believer, but he had an unbelieving dad.

Actually on Paul second missionary journey, Timothy came

along with him. It's like Paul invited him

along. Hey, let me let me mentor you.

Be a ministry helper here. And he matured through that

process and Paul devoted a lot of time and energy to him, so

much so that Paul, when he wrote to the Philippian church, he

said, for I have no man like minded who will naturally care

for your estate as Timothy. And, and here's how strong this

connection was. There's this very rare word used

in Philippians there like in that phrase like minded in the

Greek, a sipsicos, which means equal soul.

He and I, Paul says, share the same soul basically.

I don't know about you, but you've probably got many

acquaintances, maybe you've got many friends, but isn't it rare

when you find somebody who has an equal soul?

You know somebody who it's like they know your heart, they know

your thoughts. They can sort of live inside

your head. You don't even have to give

explanations. They're already just tracking

along. So.

So Timothy was like that for Paul.

I don't know if you're catching the similarity here to an Old

Testament duo Jonathan and David.

You know where it said that the soul of Jonathan was knit

together to the soul of David back to Timothy.

Notice what Paul says in verse 10 of our text.

He said if Timothy comes see that he may be with you without

fear. He said that why did he say that

Timothy equally sold loved Paul loyal to Paul loved by Paul.

Paul saw him as a as a son in the faith, but it it's likely

that he lacked that same confidence that Paul possessed

that that same robust character that Paul had and naturally just

more more fearful and timid. In fact, in one Timothy chapter

4, verse 12, Paul writes to Timothy.

It's a personal letter. He says and and listen to this

language. Let no one despise your youth.

Be an example to the believers in Word, in conduct, in love, in

spirit, in faith, impurity. Don't let anybody look down on

you and despise you because you're young.

Timothy was actually in his 30s probably when Paul wrote that.

So he wasn't like a teenager, not in his 20s.

Even in his 30s, well, probably into his 30s.

But in those ancient cultures, you really weren't respected as

an elder until you're in your 40s.

Timothy, he's in his 30s. Maybe he had a baby face.

Maybe he looked like he was in his 20s and so he comes along

and he's been given the authority of Paul the apostle

and people probably took one look at him and went whatever,

who's this young with the snapper?

So Paul said, Timothy, don't let that happen.

Let no one despise your youth now.

Now, mind you, Timothy, for that to happen, you need to be an

example in these areas. You know he said be an example

to the believers in Word, in conduct, in love and spirit and

faith in purity and and on through but over in second

Timothy, Paul outlined something again to Timothy says in verse 6

of chapter 1. Therefore, I remind you, stir up

the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of hands

for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and

of love and of a sound mind. He's writing that to Timothy.

Timothy was the pastor at that time of Ephesus.

Where Paul was when he wrote one Corinthians and Timothy's

experiencing fear, maybe the increased persecution in Ephesus

at the time, maybe Timothy's perhaps got some, I don't know,

reservations or shame going on with the ministry or or what's

happened to Paul having been arrested, He's probably doubting

his own giftedness. So it makes sense that from

Ephesus here, Paul writes to the Corinthians.

He says, look, Timothy comes, see that he may be with you

without fear. You know, it's like he he's just

a timid guy. I remember fearful kind of

tightly strong. Just just be easy on the boy for

me, would you? And then verse 12 Now concerning

our brother Apollos, I strongly urge him to come to you with the

brethren. But he was quite unwilling to

come at this time. However, he will come when he

has a convenient time. So apparently it looks like the

Corinthians in part of their communicator Paul through Chloe

and and these others maybe that we're about to meet in this

chapter that had been in contact with Paul had had requested for

Apollos to return to Corinth and and share in the ministry.

Now Paulus has been mentioned a bit as we've studied through,

but again, his background, he was converted to Christ from

Alexandria. He'd gone to Corinth, he'd met

Paul, but first he he met Aquila and Priscilla, who'd been kicked

out of Rome, moved to Corinth and Aquila and Priscilla

listened to Apollos and they saw that he had this incredible gift

of oratory and, and it was a great preacher and very

persuasive and, and knew the word of the Lord, but only up

until the point, the baptism of John.

And so he, he hadn't heard or understood the rest of the

gospel story. And Priscilla and Aquila filled

him in on the rest. And he became this, this force

to be reckoned with. Apollos was in Corinth.

And Apollos went on to Ephesus to help Paul the apostle.

And Paul probably said, look, Apollos, they want you back in

Corinth. And Apollo said, no, I don't

want to go. I'll, I'll go later on, but I

don't want to go right now. So for whatever reason, Paul

puts it here in our text and he's just look, let me tell you

the truth, Apollos didn't want to come.

Here's what Paul didn't go. He's he's not going.

You know, the Paulus didn't want to come to the Corinth, but he's

coming anyway because I am the apostle after all.

And I gave him a commandment and I'll use my Apostolic authority.

Now he just writes Paulus. He, he's, he's not wanting to

come. If he's going to come, he'll

come later. So next item.

He, he didn't force the issue. And really, I think this is the

the heart of a good leader in in what we see in Paul is he let

Apollos go according to the leading that he had from the

Lord and then the gifts that God had given to him.

And it wasn't time to go and and be in Corinth.

Let's jump ahead to verse 19. He goes on to speak of this this

issue of community. It says the churches in the

province of Asia send you greetings.

Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly again.

That's the husband, wife team who just did wonderful ministry

together and man, what a what a beautiful thing.

And if you're married, you know this, that the joy of just

serving the Lord together. If you're single tonight, pray

for somebody who wants to do ministry with you, You know, to,

to open your home up, have Bible study to, to have people meet

Jesus in your house to, to pray with them to have dinner and

just be hospitable and build friendships in your home.

And, and that's what that's what this couple did.

Priscilla and Quilla were like this model married couple.

The New Testament is just filled with this meeting in homes.

And and they, Priscilla and Quilla were a part of that.

They're repeatedly mentioned. They're, they're helpful to Paul

and there's this godly husband and wife team.

And he says, so does the church also greet you that meets at

their house? All the brothers here send you

greetings, greet one another with a holy kiss.

There's this affectionate introduction and, and, and

language here. And like, you know, there's this

little church that meets in their house, kind of like the

early days of the church in Acts, where they would gather

together by the thousands for worship at the temple courts and

then break out into houses and, and homes and, you know, Bible

studies and prayer and meals and, and just love and, and

service and encouragement and support.

And so that's happening in in their home and and they they

send a greeting to the people in Corinth.

But here's the the final individuals I want to focus on

in this. And I think it's pretty cool.

Stefanus and his household in verse 15 to 16, it says, devoted

themselves to the service of the Saints.

And Paul says then to submit to people like this.

Why? Because these people are doing

the work of the gospel with humility and dedication and the

phrase devoted themselves in the Greek has this intensity to it.

It's not a a casual or part time thing.

It literally means this, that they appointed themselves or or

set themselves in place for this task.

Some commentators note that the word carries the idea of giving

oneself over so fully that it becomes like a holy addiction.

You could say they were addicted to service, but in the best

sense of the word, they weren't coerced.

They weren't guilted into ministry.

No one twisted their arm. They simply couldn't help

themselves. They saw needs in the body of

Christ and, and like someone drawn to their favourite

passion, they leaned in with eagerness.

Ministry for them wasn't a burden.

It was this joy and and they lived to serve.

You know, I think we all know what addiction looks like in in

the negative sense. Yeah.

We've seen, unfortunately, people so wrapped up in in

substances or destructive habits that it controls their lives.

But imagine that same intensity and obsession redirected toward

the things of God, towards serving others, toward building

the church, lifting up the downcast, strengthening the

weak. That's to find us.

And and that's his family. And that's what they were like.

And then imagine what if the church were filled with people

like that? What if he couldn't wait to show

up early to help? What if your your joy wasn't

just intent in attending a service, but in in being a

service? What if helping others became

less of a duty and more of like a a holy craving In a world full

of consumers? We are called to be contributors

and service is such and and Paul says of such people that need to

be recognised. And the word here means to

acknowledge, to appreciate and honour, not for ego's sake, but

encouragement. You know, these are people who

are pouring themselves out for the Saints.

They're they're living, breathing illustrations of Jesus

himself and we should highlight them.

Paul does that here. He celebrates them and he says

follow their lead. Then lastly, there's this

cultivation of gospel community. He ends with a few things that

are on his heart. You know, he's talked about

finances, the the doors of ministry, the critics leaders.

He's honouring them. And now finally, you know, he's

mentioned the community being built up in homes.

But then verse 21, I, Paul, write this greeting in my own

hand. Let's talk about this for a

minute. There's, there's probably much

to say on this verse, but the first thing I would say is that

it's curious that people will tell you that the New Testament

was written, you know, hundreds of years after the eyewitnesses

died. Yeah, that's myth.

That's actually legend. It's fable.

Paul tells us who wrote this letter.

He did. I want to remind you about Paul.

Paul. Who was he?

He was Saul initially. He was a murderer of Christians

and you're going, well, what's what's he doing writing the

Bible and, and pastoring Christians and believers.

Remember, he met Jesus. His heart was changed, his life

was changed. He realised that he was a

Sinner. Jesus was God, that Jesus lived

the life that that Paul could never live.

It was a life without sin. And, and Jesus died the death

that, that he deserved to die as a penalty for sin.

And Jesus rose again to take away sin and, and Paul's heart

melts and he loves Jesus for the rest of his life.

All of this was, you know, on the road to Damascus.

With that conversion, he became a Christian.

And, and the moral of the story in that is this, it's less about

where you begin and it's where you end that really counts.

You might start as a person like like Paul or Saul, as he was

known with, with all kinds of sin.

But if you meet Jesus, who knows, you could end up being

used of God in significant ministry as Paul was.

The second thing I'd say is that he's actually penning this,

writing it, and, and that letter writing, I think it's a lost art

form, you know, for those of you under 20, letter writing

includes paper, which can be purchased at most major stores.

And you use a pencil or pen, write that stuff down.

You know, it's not text messaging, but when was the last

time you got a handwritten note from someone who loved you?

It's probably been a while, hasn't it?

When was the last time you wrote a handwritten letter to someone

you love? I think it's an art form that

Christians need to hang on to letter writing because there's

this tenderness to it. And it really comes through in

Paul's writing here. He loved them so much he, he

couldn't help but write and he wanted to convey this.

And he's told us in one Corinthians 14 verse 37 that

that he knows he's, he's writing the Bible, that he's writing the

the Lord's command and he's speaking for Jesus.

And, you know, he's their pastor and he's travelling and he's

gone. And, and so to receive a letter

from him probably meant a great deal to this little church in

Corinth. Now the letter ends with warm

greetings, affection, love. And there's this one sort of

sharp warning that almost seems as a contrast for us.

He says if anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed.

And you know, while it might sound harsh, it's actually a

revelation of Paul's love for the church.

And it's very serious. You see, loving Jesus isn't

optional. It's essential for Christian

unity. To love Jesus is to belong to

him, and to belong to him is to be part of the family.

You know, you always say the best for last, don't you?

And here it's Jesus four times in three verses.

I think you know your pastor loves you when he talks about

Jesus, you know, and here he says, you know verse 22, if

anyone does not love the Lord, that's Jesus, a curse be on him.

If you're here today and you haven't repented of sin and

trusted in Jesus, then there is that curse of sin upon you.

God is like a judge for you. He's not going, you know, you're

going to encounter that in, in a, in a powerful way unless you

repent, you're separated in sin and because of sin from God.

It's a serious thing to the holy and righteous God.

And if you don't repent of sin and turn to Jesus, because

that's the only way to have sin forgiven, to be reconciled to

God, to have peace with God, then then a curse is on you and

you're an enemy of God and you're going to hell.

In the original Greek, if you could read the Greek, it says he

who does not love the Lord, anathema be upon you.

And that and that anathema is very strong Greek word to

pronounce a curse upon. But then there's this other word

afterward in, in in Maranatha that's mentioned.

It's Aramaic, the understood in Greek culture, they would know

it. And Maranatha means come Lord

and become a, a buzzword by this time, a greeting by this time,

kind of code terminology for the early church and, and Maranatha

Aramaic, they go, oh, Lord come or the Lord is coming as a

reminder to them. And if you're aware, but in the

60s, seventies during the Jesus movement, they would say that to

each other. You know, bumper stickers had

Maranatha. There were songs.

Calvary Chapel had a music company, a label called

Maranatha Music and you know, I, I think we do well to bring that

sense of anticipation back into our conversation that Jesus is

coming soon. Maron Arthur and old Lord come

quickly. Then verse 23 the the grace of

our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, my love be with you all in

Christ Jesus, Amen. You know verse 22.

He'd said if anyone does not love the Lord Jesus.

This is the the simplest description of a Christian,

someone who loves Jesus. You know when people ask you,

oh, you're a Christian? Well, you know, what kind what,

what denomination do you belong to?

Just tell them I'm the kind that loves Jesus.

I love the Lord Jesus. He's my friend.

He loves me. Tell them that and watch what

look they give on their face. I love Jesus and see how their

face contorts. But Paul, he ends his letter

with love and a final exhortation.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

You see, grace is what it's all about.

It's it's the glue that holds the church together.

It's what we've been given. And so the community of

believers are to be marked by warmth, love and grace where

Jesus is loved deeply and the gospel is alive in every

relationship. So there we are.

We're finished One Corinthians. We've been what a study.

It's been awesome to go through. But you know, as this, this

chapter folds, we, we, we look at the question, what does a

resurrection shaped life look like?

It's not about lofty ideas. It's not just about private

devotions, but it's about generous giving, about faithful

service, about gospel courage, about loving leadership, about

deep community. And so this chapter that we've

just gone through shows us that ordinary church life, you know,

budgeting, planning, writing letters, encouraging leaders,

honouring the Saints. It's actually holy ground.

It's not the mountaintop, but it's the long road of

faithfulness. And as Paul says, let all you do

be done in love. That's how you live in light of

the resurrection. That's how you finish well.