I Corinthians 4:14-21
“The Love of a Brother”
Sermon by
Mark A. Horne
I read this past week some directions to Heaven:
“First of all, Whosoever will and must make a U-turn on the ‘Road of Repentance.’ Then make a right on Believeth Blvd. Keep straight and go through the green Light which is Jesus Christ. From there, you must turn onto the Bridge of Faith which is over troubled water.
When you get off the bridge, make a right turn and keep straight. You are on King’s Highway-Heaven Bound. Keep going for three miles; One for the Father, One for the Son, and One for the Holy Spirit. Then exit off onto Grace Blvd. From there, make a right turn on Gospel Lane. Keep straight and then make another right on Prayer Blvd.
As you go on your way, yield not to the traffic on Temptation Ave. Also, avoid Sin Street because it is a Dead End. Pass up Envy Drive and Hate Avenue. Also, pass by Hypocrisy Street, Gossiping Lane, and Backbiting Blvd. But you will have to go down Long-Suffering Lane, Persecution Blvd., and Trials-n-Tribulation Avenue. From there, make another right onto Peace Street. Keep straight and you will come to the parking lot of Immortality. It’s all right to park there.
Get out of the body and junk it. Go into the building not made by hands. Sit down and talk to King Jesus. Tell him about your troubles and dwell in His House Forever.
I read this little poem this week and noticed that it had some of the elements that Paul was dealing with in the Corinthians. What I noticed even more is that it had all of the elements that we deal with in our lives. There are people we know looking for the road to eternal life – or at least a better place than they are in now – and God just may be placing us in their path to help point the way to them. Does God need us? Of course not. But he may be using us as instruments in his divine plan. What is interesting is that this poem strikes a nerve about what we have been learning from Paul. The Corinthians were not bad people. In fact, they were Christians. At least Paul still thinks they are as he is writing this letter. He never has said that if they don’t get their act together they won’t be saved any more. In fact, what we learn in our passage this morning alludes to something totally different than what we would do. And these are lessons that we all need to hold firmly to.
1. We ought to discipline / and be disciplined by our Christian brothers and sisters with love.
2. We ought to allow ourselves to be an example to others / and choose godly examples to follow and be taught by.
3. When we face trouble that we know is wrong by the Word of God, we need to allow God to be the warrior ahead of us.
First, we ought to discipline and be disciplined by our Christian bothers and sisters with love. If you are like me, you have had at least one person in your life that has been a spiritual mother, father, brother, or sister. I actually have had three. The first was a spiritual mother, who was our church’s youth director. She was the one who Christ used to bring me to the saving knowledge of Him. She really helped me as a new Christian, grow from an infant into the teenage years. Another was a pastor, a spiritual brother, who helped me develop my understanding of what we believe and encouraged me when I was deciding on whether or not to go into the ministry. And finally, I have a spiritual brother now, who has been a great encourager while I have been in seminary and starting a new life in the ministry. All three have come at different points in my life. All three challenged me with regard to our relationship in Jesus Christ. This is exactly what Paul is doing in verses 14-15.
Paul was not writing to them for their reproach, but admonition. He did not want to shame them, for what accomplishment would that be to a brother or sister struggling to find which road to stay on for Christ. These Corinthians were being pulled and by others on those roads. They were being tempted and enticed to put their faith in themselves rather than in Jesus Christ. Shame does nothing but expose and leads to exasperation. But a warning that is done with love and affection is most likely to reform. Now should this always be the case. No! Next week we will see another situation that needs different measures. However, in this situation, with beloved children who have been led astray by the world’s wisdom, this is what Paul does.
He reminds them what foundation he calls them his children. It is the fact that he has in Christ Jesus became their father through the gospel. I don’t know how many of you are a spiritual parent or sibling; but if you are; make sure you never lose sight of the fact that your wisdom rests solely on the foundation of Jesus Christ. In Paul’s case, the Corinthian church was made Christians by his ministry. He was the instrument for their new birth, and therefore claimed the relation of father to them. But much more than that, you can read the sense of love he had for this group of people. You know, not all fathers love their children. You as a church have realized that and are taking on the responsibility to help those kinds of children through Calvary Home; but as a spiritual parent or sibling there is no option. You are called to love the person who is in Christ with you. We must have an endeared affection for each other as Paul did these people.
And having such an endeared affection leads us to the second point of this passage. We ought to allow ourselves to be an example to others / and choose godly examples to follow and be taught by. In verse 17 Paul tells the Corinthians of his having sent Timothy to them. He does this for one main reason: to remind them of their way of life in Christ Jesus. It is a life that agrees with everything that he has taught in every church he has ever been in.
We all have a lot of good teaching in our lives. But yet our humanness allows us to forget. Our memories need to be refreshed. That is one reason why we come to church on Sunday’s and Wednesdays. On one hand we are worshiping our Lord. On another hand we are being reminded of our sinfulness and what Christ Jesus has done for us. And Paul clearly states that he did not have one doctrine for, let’s say the Ephesian church and another doctrine for them. No! Paul taught the same thing in every church. He was not creating a lot of different roads for them to see themselves in Christ. Christ was the only road.
What makes this verse even more valuable is that Paul not only taught them these things. He lived them as well. Others who followed after Paul knew what it meant to live for Jesus Christ. Timothy is going to Corinth upon Paul’s request to help this church, to be a reminder to them. Paul clearly tells them that Timothy is coming as one who lives just like he does. If they want to follow after Christ and live a life worthy of the cross, watch my beloved son Timothy. Listen to Timothy. Paul states, “I give Timothy the same character I have.” Timothy was Paul’s spiritual child. Paul adopted him as a son to teach him to have the heart he has. Timothy was trustworthy and faithful. Timothy was a son who feared the Lord.
I have to ask; whom are you following after? Who are you getting you example of Christ from? We need to be very careful of who we listen to and follow. I hope you have a dear friend in Christ who you can lean on by their example. I hope they are Timothy or a Paul for you that they care about you and love you and want to see you grow in Jesus Christ.
On the other hand I hope you are Timothy or a Paul for someone else. Now I realize that this can be a worrisome topic for some because they don’t want the responsibility of being a godly example for others. I am sorry to say, but you are an example whether you like it or not. And being in Christ I hope you are a good example. I hope that there is someone in your life that you care about and love, someone that you are an example to. Someone who wants you to love them and to warn them when they are beginning to travel down a wrong road. And because of this, we need to be careful and examine the life we are living around those we are Paul’s or Timothy’s to. We do not want to be the ones that lead them down a wrong road. We want to admonish lovingly and passionately those whom God has placed under our care. You see how this can work. In the quest to be an example that holds our loved one accountable, we have to hold ourselves accountable, don’t we? Yet, If we are faithful to the Lord, the Lord will be faithful to us by procuring our life around that person. Pray for them. Pray for yourself, and the worry will diminish.
But we all know that there are going to be times that we will face trouble. And when we face trouble that we know is wrong by the Word of God, we need to allow God to be the warrior ahead of us as Paul clearly teaches in verses 18-21. There were many in Corinth that thought Paul was history. He had planted this little church, wrote them a few letters and never is coming back. The Corinthian church was theirs now and they will rule with the wisdom they think is so great. They will make puppets out of these Christians. Yet Paul, depending solely on God’s providence, lets them know his purpose was to come back and rebuke those who has drug Christ’s name through the mud.
Paul tells them that he is not interested in their arrogant talk. He is only interested in the power they have. Paul tells them that he is going to try them. And he would find out by what power and authority they taught such hypocrisy in Christ’s church. The church that God has so willingly allowed for him to plant and be the caretaker for. Notice what matters to Paul in finding out about their wisdom. Does all this rhetoric they been spouting out have saving effects on the minds of men. For the Kingdom of God is not in word but in Power. It is the powerful influence of divine truth on the minds and manners of men. Paul is letting them know that he knows what a preacher called by God is all about. That preacher should be effecting the hearts of men because when that happens it is the work of God – who characterizes those who are being affected to his own likeness. What I am saying is this. Whether it is me or any other person who stands in this pulpit, as a congregation, and especially those who are serving now or have served as elders, need to examine what kind of effects the preacher is having. Are hearts being changed? Is God working in this man to help with the sanctification of his saints? And if not, trouble lies ahead.
Yet we also learn from Paul, in any situation that Christ’s name is jeopardized, we have to stand our ground and let God work through us. But in doing so, after following God’s will, we have to be prepared for the type of discipline He requires of us to administer. In verse 21 Paul asks those he is coming to face what manner or frame of mind he should come. Paul gives them the choice. Sometimes people who are stubborn require more severe means of discipline. Even the good and fair judges have to be hard to get people to understand. In our families and in Christian communities – Christian love and compassion will sometimes force harsher means of discipline. But this shouldn’t be what we desire. And the hopefully the goal is to prevent it, for Paul wants to come to them in love and in gentle spirit. You can tell Paul wants to display tenderness as a father to them rather than assert his authority. What a temperament we must seek in balancing love and authority? This is what we gain when we allow God to be the warrior ahead of us.
I heard a story told about a pastor who displayed such a balance. A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it ‘was to crowded’. “I can’t go to Sunday school,” she sobbed to Dr. Russell H. Conwell as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.
Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings, and the parents called for the kindhearted Dr. Conwell, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump. Inside was found 57cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read, “This is to help build the little church bigger so that more children can go to Sunday School.” For two years she had saved this offering of love.
When Dr. Conwell tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged the deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building.
But the story does not end there! A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for a mere 57 cents.
Church members made large contributions. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years that little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000.00 – a huge sum for the turn of the 20th century. Her unselfish love had paid large dividends.
When you are in Philadelphia, look for Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300, and Temple University, where hundreds of students are trained. There is also the Good Samaritan Hospital and the Sunday School building that houses hundreds of Sunday Scholars, so that no child in the area will be left outside during Sunday School time.
You see there were some in this church like those in Corinth who wanted to turn this little girl away. But Dr. Conwell would not allow it. He disciplined those with love by bringing the little girl back into Sunday School. He was an example to his deacons, like Paul and Timothy were to the Corinthian church. And he allowed God to be the warrior that went ahead of him when there was trouble. Thus, God took 57 cents at the turn of the century and caused a ministry to explode in Philadelphia and it has touched the rest of the world.
Let us pray: Dear Lord, help us to follow after examples that love and care for you. Help us O, Lord to be an example of Christ to others. And Lord, when we fail, help us to be disciplined in love that your name will be glorified and shame will not befall us. Finally, Lord I pray that you would be our warrior and go ahead of us when there are times of trouble. Keep us on the right road, the road towards glory in Jesus Christ. For it is in you Holy name I pray, Amen.